Military Time Chart — Quick 24‑Hour Conversion Table & Printable Chart

Whether you’re scheduling shifts, reading travel timetables, coordinating across time zones, or prepping for exams, converting between AM/PM and the 24‑hour clock should be instant—not a guessing game. This military time chart and quick 24‑hour conversion table give you a clean, at‑a‑glance reference so you can spot 17:30, 0045, or 1200 without hesitation and avoid common traps like 12:00 AM vs 12:00 PM.

Inside, you’ll get a complete 00:00–23:59 table with on‑the‑hour callouts and minute conversions, plain‑English rules for switching between formats, and a clear explanation of midnight and noon (0000 vs 2400). Need something you can take with you? Download printer‑friendly PDFs (A4 and US Letter) or save mobile‑optimized images for quick reference and easy embedding. Use the calculator above to convert between AM/PM and 24‑hour time instantly.

Military time chart (00:00–23:59) — quick reference table

If you need a fast way to read, schedule, or convert times, this quick reference section explains exactly how to use a 24-hour clock from 00:00 through 23:59. A military time chart removes AM/PM ambiguity by expressing each hour of the day in four digits, so 1:00 PM becomes 1300 and 11:45 PM becomes 2345. That single format is easier to scan on rosters, itineraries, and work logs, and it helps prevent mistakes when coordinating across shifts or deadlines.

Below, you’ll find how to read the notation, how to handle midnight and noon correctly, and a compact table of common on-the-hour conversions. Use it as a quick refresher before diving into full conversions and edge cases. By the end, you’ll be confident reading any time listed between 0000 and 2359 without second-guessing AM vs. PM.

How to read the chart (keys & notation)

Military time uses a simple four-digit format: the first two digits are the hour (00–23) and the last two are the minutes (00–59). Read 0730 as “oh seven thirty,” 1545 as “fifteen forty-five,” and 2100 as “twenty-one hundred.” Minutes work exactly as you expect: 01–59. For example, 1612 is 4:12 PM. This uniform structure makes long lists (like duty rosters or bus schedules) easier to scan without converting each entry in your head.

A few quick keys to remember:

• Format: HHMM (no separators), where HH = 00–23 and MM = 00–59.
• Leading zeros: Hours 0–9 always show a leading zero (e.g., 0810).
• No AM/PM tags: The hour value alone indicates morning, afternoon, or night.

“NO punctuation and NO a.m. or p.m. designation. Midnight is the beginning of the new day.” — Slippery Rock University

In practice, you may see 24‑hour times displayed with a colon (e.g., 08:10) on consumer devices. The chart still follows the same logic: 08:10 equals 0810, and 18:45 equals 1845. When recording formal times (orders, logs, or worksheets), stick to the four-digit block to prevent confusion, especially when two systems (12‑hour and 24‑hour) might appear on the same page.

Midnight and noon: 0000 vs 2400 explained

Midnight and noon are the only times that commonly raise questions. Noon is straightforward: it’s 1200, the midpoint of the day. Midnight is special because it can represent the end of one day or the start of the next, and the notation changes with that context.

“Midnight is represented by 0000 if it is a starting time and 2400 if it is an ending time.” — US Army Corps of Engineers HEC

Here’s how to apply it. If a work shift starts at the very beginning of a date, write 0000 on that date. If a shift runs until the very end of a date, write 2400 on that date. Example: a shift from 1600–2400 on March 3 ends exactly at the close of March 3; a shift from 0000–0800 on March 4 starts at the open of March 4. This avoids overlap and keeps timelines clean when logs are audited.

When converting 12‑hour times, treat noon as 12:00 PM → 1200 and midnight as 12:00 AM → 0000 (for a start time). If you’re marking the final minute of a schedule or the completion of a daylong task, 2400 can be used to indicate that precise end boundary. When in doubt, clarify whether an event begins or ends at midnight to prevent date-rollover mistakes.

Common quick conversions (on‑the‑hour examples)

Use this table to spot on‑the‑hour conversions at a glance. Once you see the pattern, you’ll convert the rest instinctively: for PM hours after noon, add 12 to the hour; for AM hours, keep the hour and add leading zeros as needed.

Tip: Minutes follow the same pattern. For example, 2:30 PM is 1430, and 7:05 AM is 0705. If you’re writing schedules, keep your format consistent on the page—prefer HHMM throughout—to reduce errors and speed up scanning.

This quick reference clarified how to read the 24‑hour clock, the special handling for midnight and noon, and the most common conversions. Next, we’ll walk through simple steps to switch any time back and forth with zero guesswork in How to convert between standard (AM/PM) and military time. If you prefer an instant lookup, try our military time converter once you’re familiar with the basics.

How to convert between standard (AM/PM) and military time

Whether you’re filling out a schedule, logging hours, or planning travel, clear military time conversion makes everything faster. Use the simple steps below to go from 12‑hour AM/PM to the 24‑hour clock (and back) without second‑guessing. We’ll cover how to spot AM vs. PM at a glance, the one change you make for most afternoon times, and the edge cases—midnight, noon, and leading zeros—that trip people up. If you already skimmed the military time chart above, this section gives you the rules that power it, so you can convert any time—even when you don’t have the table handy.

Step 1 — Identify AM or PM and the hour

Start by separating the hour and minutes, then determine whether the time is AM or PM. In standard time, the hour runs 1–12 and minutes run 00–59; in military time, hours run 00–23 and minutes remain 00–59. Once you’ve identified AM or PM, you’ll know whether to keep the hour as‑is (AM, with a leading zero for 1–9) or adjust it (most PM times).

A helpful mental model: Think of midnight as the “zero point” (00:00) and noon as the halfway mark (12:00). Times from 1:00 AM to 11:59 AM align directly with 01:00–11:59, while afternoon and evening hours map to 13:00–23:59. Minutes don’t change—only the hour might.

“The hours are numbered beginning with 00 hours at midnight through 12 hours at noon to 23 hours and 59 minutes just before the next midnight.” — NGA

Tip: If you’re writing compact “HHMM” format (e.g., 0930), drop the colon but keep leading zeros for 00–09. Reading aloud, add “hours” (e.g., “zero nine thirty hours”) to avoid AM/PM confusion.

Step 2 — Add 12 for PM times after noon

Here’s the core rule: For PM times after noon, add 12 to the hour; minutes stay the same. So 1:00 PM becomes 13:00, 7:45 PM becomes 19:45, and 11:59 PM becomes 23:59. Do not add 12 for 12:XX PM—noon already sits at 12 in both systems. For AM times, keep the hour the same but add a leading zero if it’s a single digit.

Use this quick reference to build confidence:

Scan the hour first. If it’s 1–11 and marked PM, add 12. If it’s 12 PM, keep 12. If it’s AM, keep the number and pad to two digits if needed (1–9 becomes 01–09). This single add‑12 step handles nearly every afternoon conversion you’ll do, making back‑and‑forth between systems quick and error‑proof.

Step 3 — Special cases: midnight, noon and leading zeros

Two edge cases cause most mistakes: midnight and noon. Midnight in 12‑hour time is 12:00 AM, which converts to 00:00. Any minutes after midnight follow the same pattern (e.g., 12:07 AM → 00:07). Noon in 12‑hour time is 12:00 PM, which remains 12:00 in military time; minutes after noon stay at 12:XX (e.g., 12:25 PM → 12:25). Remember: “12” flips differently at midnight vs. noon.

Leading zeros are required from 00:00 through 09:59. If you’re writing compact HHMM, use 4 digits:

• 12:04 AM → 0004
• 9:30 AM → 0930
• 2:05 PM → 1405
• 12:09 PM → 1209

A quick decision path:

• If it’s AM and not 12 AM, keep the hour and pad to two digits (7:10 AM → 07:10).
• If it’s 12 AM, convert to 00:XX.
• If it’s PM and not 12 PM, add 12 to the hour (4:40 PM → 16:40).
• If it’s 12 PM, keep 12:XX.

Get these three moves right—00:XX for midnight, 12:XX for noon, and add‑12 for 1–11 PM—and the rest of your conversions will fall neatly into place.

Mastering these steps turns the 24‑hour clock into second nature. Next, grab a ready‑to‑use printable or try the built‑in military time converter to speed up everyday scheduling. If you prefer a quick reference, our military time chart and downloads are one click away.

Built‑in converter widget: how to use (above‑the‑fold)

The on‑page converter is designed for speed: type a 24‑hour time (HHMM) or a 12‑hour time with AM/PM, and the widget returns the counterpart instantly. You don’t need punctuation—just 4 digits for military time. For example, enter 1730 to get 5:30 PM; enter 12:05 AM to get 0005. Leading zeros are handled automatically, so 0830 becomes 8:30 AM. If you enter an invalid value (like 2560), the widget will flag the error and prompt you to correct it.

Quick tips:

• Convert hours only by using “HH00” (e.g., 2100 → 9:00 PM).
• Midnight edge case: 0000 maps to 12:00 AM at the start of a day; 2400 is rarely used and indicates the day’s end in some schedules.
• You can copy results with one click to paste into emails, rosters, and itineraries.

In classrooms and training, pairing the instant converter with a printable chart provides both reference and practice. That way learners can verify answers immediately, then record final responses on paper for grading or review.

“Physical or printable worksheets allow teachers to formally assess students' grasp of military time concepts over time. Worksheets can be archived, compared, ...” City of Jackson, MS

When speed matters—like updating shift boards or travel plans—the widget removes guesswork while the chart offers at‑a‑glance context.

In summary, you can print a clear, high‑contrast chart, use the instant on‑page converter for quick checks, or embed a lightweight tool wherever your team works. For fast lookups across the whole day, see the military time chart at the top of this guide.