This military time converter translates 24-hour times like 1730 into standard 12-hour AM/PM times like 5:30 PM, and back. It handles the two cases everyone stumbles on — midnight (0000) and noon (1200) — and includes the full hourly conversion chart.
Military time runs the day continuously from 0000 to 2359, which removes the single biggest source of scheduling errors: the AM/PM mix-up. That is why it is standard not just in the armed forces but in hospitals, aviation, emergency services, and most of the world outside the US, where 24-hour notation is simply how clocks work.
The Conversion Rule
Two directions, one rule each:
- Military → standard: hours 0–11 are AM (0000 becomes 12:00 AM, 0930 becomes 9:30 AM); hour 12 is noon; for 13–23, subtract 12 and add PM (1730 − 1200 = 5:30 PM)
- Standard → military: AM hours stay as-is except 12 AM, which becomes 00; PM hours add 12 except 12 PM, which stays 12 (5:30 PM + 12 = 1730)
Minutes never change in either direction — only the hour transforms.
Midnight and Noon — the Tricky Cases
The 12s cause nearly all conversion mistakes:
- 12:00 AM (midnight) = 0000 — the day starts at zero hours
- 12:00 PM (noon) = 1200
- 12:30 AM = 0030, not 1230 — half past midnight is zero hours thirty
- 2400 vs 0000: both are midnight; 2400 is used to mark the end of one day (a shift ending "at 2400 Friday"), while 0000 starts the next. On a clock they are the same instant.
The deeper logic: "12 AM" and "12 PM" are historical quirks — the 24-hour system replaces them with unambiguous numbers, which is exactly why hospitals chart medication times in military format.
Reading and Speaking Military Time
Convention for saying times out loud:
- 0800 — "zero eight hundred" (8:00 AM)
- 1230 — "twelve thirty" (12:30 PM)
- 1730 — "seventeen thirty" (5:30 PM)
- 2005 — "twenty zero five" (8:05 PM)
The word "hours" is often appended in military usage ("report at zero six hundred hours"). Note that international 24-hour notation writes a colon (17:30) while US military style typically omits it (1730) — both mean the same time, and this converter accepts either.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 1730 in military time?
1730 is 5:30 PM. For any military time from 1300 to 2359, subtract 1200 and append PM: 1730 − 1200 = 5:30 PM. Going the other way, 5:30 PM + 12 hours = 1730.
What is midnight in military time — 0000 or 2400?
Both refer to midnight. 0000 ("zero hundred") begins a new day and is the standard form; 2400 is occasionally used to mark the end of the previous day, such as a shift that runs "until 2400 Friday." Digital systems and schedules almost always use 0000.
How do I convert PM times to military time?
Add 12 to the hour, except for 12 PM (noon), which stays 12. So 1:00 PM = 1300, 5:30 PM = 1730, 11:45 PM = 2345, and 12:15 PM = 1215. AM times keep their hour, except 12 AM (midnight) which becomes 00 — 12:30 AM = 0030.
Why do hospitals and the military use 24-hour time?
Because it eliminates AM/PM ambiguity — an error class with real consequences when it means a missed medication dose or a mistimed operation. A chart entry of 0200 cannot be misread as afternoon, and no schedule needs the words "morning" or "evening" to be unambiguous.
Is military time the same as 24-hour time?
Functionally yes. "24-hour time" is the international standard (ISO 8601) written with a colon, like 17:30, and used on clocks across most of the world. "Military time" is the US name for the same system, typically written without the colon (1730) and spoken with "hours." The conversion math is identical.