Hours and Minutes Calculator

Add up a list of times in hours and minutes, or subtract some of them. Useful for totalling task times, flight legs, practice sessions or a timesheet that already has daily totals.

Times to add

Total

8:05

8.08 decimal hours

  • Total minutes485
  • Days0.34
  • In words8 hr 5 min

How to use it

  1. Enter hours and minutes on each row. Minutes over 59 are fine; they carry over.
  2. Switch a row to minus to subtract it.
  3. Add rows as needed. The total updates as you type.

The formula

Total minutes = Σ (hours × 60 + minutes) for added rows − the same for subtracted rows

Hours = total ÷ 60 (whole part); minutes = the remainder

Example: 2:45 + 3:30 + 1:50: add the minutes (45 + 30 + 50 = 125, which is 2 hours 5 minutes) and the hours (2 + 3 + 1 = 6) to get 8 hours 5 minutes, or 8.08 decimal hours.

Good to know

  • Don't add times with a regular calculator: 2.45 + 3.30 gives 5.75, but 2:45 + 3:30 is really 6:15.
  • To turn the total into decimal hours for payroll, read the decimal line or use the hours to decimal converter.

Questions

How do you add hours and minutes?

Add the minutes and the hours separately. For every 60 minutes, carry 1 hour. 4:50 + 2:25 → 75 minutes = 1 hour 15 minutes, plus 6 hours = 7:15.

How do you subtract hours and minutes?

If the minutes you subtract are larger, borrow an hour as 60 minutes. 5:10 − 2:45 → 4:70 − 2:45 = 2:25.

How many minutes are in 3.5 hours?

210 minutes. Multiply decimal hours by 60: 3.5 × 60 = 210.

Can the total go negative?

Yes. If you subtract more than you add, the total is shown with a minus sign so you can see how far short you are.