24 Hour to 12 Hour Time Converter
Use this free 24h to 12h clock converter & calculator to easily convert a 24-hour time to 12-hour time (AM & PM). Calculate 12 hour time from 24 hour time, and vice versa. A 24 hour clock conversion table is included.
- What is 24 hour time?
- Understanding 24 hour vs 12 hour clocks
- Examples of time format conversion
- 24 hour clock conversion chart
What is 24 hour time?
24 hour time (a.k.a. 24 hour clock) is time expressed in 24-hour format as opposed to the regular time used in daily life which is in 12-hour format. For example, 7 AM would be 7:00 in 24 hour time, while 7 PM would be 19:00.
It should be noted that the 24-hour clock is the current international standard for time keeping (ISO 8601). According to the 24 hour format a day has 24 hours starting from hour 0 to hour 23. It is especially preferred where its unambiguous nature matters. This includes things like scheduling business meetings, trips, plain, rail, and bus schedules, and so on. The 24 hour clock is unambiguous since there is a single number corresponding to each time of day and one cannot easily overlook or misread the AM / PM part of a 12 hour time.
Understanding 24 hour vs 12 hour clocks
There are two ways to visually understand the difference between 12-hour and 24-hour times. One is to use a physical clock with hours between 1 and 12 on which one has to do to full circles to describe each time of the day. Then imagine a second clock with hour marks starting from 0 and going up to 23. The latter corresponds to the 24 hour system.
Another way to visually compare the two systems is on a simple line, with 24 hour times at the top and AM/PM times at the bottom:
The above graph can be used as an aid in 24 hour to 12 hour conversion.
Examples of time format conversion
For times before noon, 12 hour and 24 hour time are easy to calculate. For example, 9:30 AM is just 9:30. However, conversion of times in the afternoon and at night is more difficult as it requires adding twelve to the whole hour to find the 24 hour equivalent. Times around midnight can also cause problems since both 00:00 and 24:00 indicate midnight in the 24-hour system. These are cases where a 24 hour time converter is particularly handy.
That said, our 24 hrs clock converter supports conversion both from and to 24 hour time. Some examples of how that works out are shown below.
24 hour time to 12 hour time
Example task: What time is 18:00 (24 hour clock format) expressed in standard time with AM / PM.
Solution: 18:00 means 18 hours and zero minutes. Since 18 is greater than 12, it is a PM time. Subtract 12 from 18 to get 6. The result is then that 18:00 equals 6 PM (6:00 PM) in the 12-hour format.
12 hour to 24 hour time conversion
Example task: How to express 3 PM in a 24 hour clock format?
Solution: the specified time is in the afternoon, therefore add 12 to 3 to get the number of hours which is 15. Then add the minutes ("00") and write it down as 15:00 o'clock in 12-hour time.
24 hour clock conversion chart
24 hrs clock conversion is a straightforward process with this conversion table:
| 24 hour time | 12 hour time | 24 hour time | 12 hour time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 12:00 AM (midnight) | 12:00 | 12:00 PM (noon) |
| 00:30 | 12:30 AM | 12:30 | 12:30 PM |
| 01:00 | 1:00 AM | 13:00 | 1:00 PM |
| 01:30 | 1:30 AM | 13:30 | 1:30 PM |
| 02:00 | 2:00 AM | 14:00 | 2:00 PM |
| 02:30 | 2:30 AM | 14:30 | 2:30 PM |
| 03:00 | 3:00 AM | 15:00 | 3:00 PM |
| 03:30 | 3:30 AM | 15:30 | 03:30 PM |
| 04:00 | 4:00 AM | 16:00 | 4:00 PM |
| 04:30 | 4:30 AM | 16:30 | 04:30 PM |
| 05:00 | 5:00 AM | 17:00 | 5:00 PM |
| 05:30 | 5:30 AM | 17:30 | 5:30 PM |
| 06:00 | 6:00 AM | 18:00 | 6:00 PM |
| 06:30 | 6:30 AM | 14:30 | 2:30 PM |
| 07:00 | 7:00 AM | 19:00 | 7:00 PM |
| 07:30 | 7:30 AM | 19:30 | 7:30 PM |
| 08:00 | 8:00 AM | 20:00 | 8:00 PM |
| 08:30 | 8:30 AM | 20:30 | 8:30 PM |
| 09:00 | 9:00 AM | 21:00 | 9:00 PM |
| 09:30 | 9:30 AM | 21:30 | 9:30 PM |
| 10:00 | 10:00 AM | 22:00 | 10:00 PM |
| 10:30 | 10:30 AM | 22:30 | 10:30 PM |
| 11:00 | 11:00 AM | 23:00 | 11:00 PM |
| 11:30 | 11:30 AM | 23:30 | 11:30 PM |
| 12:00 | 12:00 PM (noon) | 24:00 | 12:00 AM (midnight) |
To use the table, look up the 24 hrs time in the relevant column, then check the corresponding value to its right on the same row to find the standard time equivalent. For example, find where 21:00 is, then look to the right to see that it is in fact 9 PM.
To obtain precise timings use the 24 hour format converter online tool.
Cite this converter & page
If you'd like to cite this online converter resource and information as provided on the page, you can use the following citation:
Georgiev G.Z., "24 Hour to 12 Hour Converter", [online] Available at: https://www.gigacalculator.com/converters/24-hour-to-12-hour-converter.php URL [Accessed Date: 17 Aug, 2025].