Military Time Chart: Complete 24-Hour Clock Conversion Guide

As you can sense from the name, military time is based on a 24-hour clock, which can be a little confusing at first if you are used to the normal AM and PM time, but if you are dedicated to using this time in your daily life, then you can quickly grab this by just focusing on the 24-hour clock.

Let’s look at a few examples: 1600 military time is 4:00 PM, 1700 military time is 5:00 PM, and 1900 military time is 7:00 PM. We will look deep in these concepts, calculations, the army time chart, learn how to use a military time converter, and additional information that will feel unique.

What is military time?

Military time is a format to communicate time in conversations; it is based on the 24-hour clock, which is used in many places, but what military time did different is that it does not use a colon to separate the numbers. For example:

7:00 AM becomes 0700.
12:00 PM becomes 1200.
4:00 PM or 16:00 becomes 1600.
7:00 PM or 19:00 becomes 1900.
11:00 PM or 23:00 becomes 2300

The reason is to give smoothness in conversations; even when writing them, it saves several seconds and sounds clear and in flow. Every small detail matters when you are on the battlefield; that’s why there is so much discipline here as well.

What is an army time chart?

An army time chart is a table with time written in 3 major formats: standard time, 24-hour clock, and military time. It helps readers understand all three formats from the same place and learn the military time format with the other formats as a reference.

There are places where the AM & PM format doesn’t provide the smoothness in the work, and that’s where the 24-hour format works better, and based on which military time started being used in the army.

A practical army time chart should contain:-

Four-digit military time format
Corresponding 12-hour time
Identifiable noon and midnight timings
Half-hour or quarter-hour examples for better understanding

Complete Military Time Chart

Standard time	24-hour clock	Military time
12:00 AM (MIDNIGHT)	00:00	0000
1:00 AM	01:00	0100
2:00 AM	02:00	0200
3:00 AM	03:00	0300
4:00 AM	04:00	0400
5:00 AM	05:00	0500
6:00 AM	06:00	0600
7:00 AM	07:00	0700
8:00 AM	08:00	0800
9:00 AM	09:00	0900
10:00 AM	10:00	1000
11:00 AM	11:00	1100
12:00 PM (NOON)	12:00	1200
1:00 PM	13:00	1300
2:00 PM	14:00	1400
3:00 PM	15:00	1500
4:00 PM	16:00	1600
5:00 PM	17:00	1700
6:00 PM	18:00	1800
7:00 PM	19:00	1900
8:00 PM	20:00	2000
9:00 PM	21:00	2100
10:00 PM	22:00	2200
11:00 PM	23:00	2300

Army time chart mainly covers the hour part, while the minutes part remains unchanged in the conversions. For example:-

1630 = 4:30 PM

1945 = 7:45 PM

These are also examples of half-hour and quarter-hour.

How to read military time

Reading military time is quite easier than you think. The first two digits are denoted as hours, while the last two digits are denoted as minutes. Let’s break down a few examples:-

0800: 08 hours and 00 minutes, or 8:00 AM.
1145: 11 hours and 45 minutes, or 11:45 AM.
1300: 13 hours and 00 minutes, or 1:00 PM.
1645: 16 hours and 45 minutes, or 4:45 PM.
2130: 21 hours and 30 minutes, or 9:30 PM.

Only the hours change when converting from standard time to military time, while the minutes remain the same.

How to convert military time to standard time

To convert military time into 12-hour format is straightforward; you just need to check the hour and determine whether it falls before noon or after. Let’s understand using examples:-

For morning times:-

0600 = 6:00 AM
0730 = 7:30 AM
0945 = 9:45 AM
1100 = 11:00 AM

For afternoon and evening times:-

To convert times after 1200, subtract 12 from the hour and add PM, like this:-

1300 = 1:00 PM
1400 = 2:00 PM
1600 = 4:00 PM
1900 = 7:00 PM
2200 = 10:00 PM

There are two exceptions: 0000 & 1200, representing midnight and noon, respectively.

How to convert standard time to military time

Converting standard time into military time is also very easy once you understand how it works.

Keep the hours the same and add leading zeros for times from 1:00 AM to 9:00 AM, like this:-

6:00 AM = 0600
8:15 AM = 0815
9:30 AM = 0930
11:45 AM = 1145

Add 12 to the hour and keep the minutes the same for times from 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM, like this:-

1:00 PM = 1300
3:30 PM = 1530
4:00 PM = 1600
5:00 PM = 1700
7:00 PM = 1900
10:45 PM = 2245

A few more examples

1900 military time
Let’s get the standard time value out of this number using the method we’ve just discussed.
To get the standard value, subtract 12 from the hours:-
19 – 12 = 7
Therefore;
1900 = 7:00 PM
1700 military time
With the same method, subtract 12 from the hours and get your answer in PM.
17 – 12 = 5
Therefore;
1700 = 5:00 PM
1600 military time
Subtract 12 and add pm without changing the minutes part.
16 – 12 = 4
Therefore;
1600 = 4:00 PM

What is a military time converter?

A military time converter, as it sounds, is a tool that helps you convert between two formats, mainly 12-hour and 24-hour formats.

With this tool available, you don’t need to memorise this if you have other important things to remember. Just use it when needed; it’s very helpful in converting times with minutes, such as 1645 or 2115.

For example:-

7:15 AM = 0715
10:54 AM = 1054
4:45 PM = 1645
10:30 PM = 2230

You can find similar converters and other utilities in Toolflora, including a timestamp converter, countdown timer, or stopwatch.

Common mistakes to avoid when reading military time

Though it’s a consistent system of time used in specific conversations, some conversions may still confuse you, so have the following things in mind:-

Forgetting the leading zero
Confusing noon and midnight
Adding 12 to every PM time
Changing the minutes
Using a colon in military notation

Final thoughts

It is easy to read and convert times in the 24-hour format using an army time chart. Once you have learned all the rules, you can easily recognize common values like 1600 (4 PM), 1700 (5 PM), and 1900 (7 PM).

Some of the most important rules that one should remember include:

Always write the value of military time in four digits.
Keep the minutes the same while converting time.
Deduct 12 from afternoon and evening hours beginning with 1300.

One must keep in mind that 1200 refers to noon and 0000 stands for midnight. A military time calculator can help to check times quickly whenever required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is 1900 military time in regular time?

1900 military time is 7:00 PM. When you subtract 12 from 19, you will get 7, and keep the minutes at 00.

What is 1700 military time?

1700 military time means 5:00 PM in the standard 12-hour format.

What is 1600 military time?

1600 military time is 4:00 PM. The hour 16 becomes 4 after you subtract 12 without changing the minutes.

How do I use a military time chart?

Identify the four-digit military time in the left-hand column and read the matching standard time in the right-hand column. In case your time has minute digits, retain them and convert only the hour part.

What is 0000 in military time?

0000 represents midnight at the beginning of a new day. Sometimes, in some cases, it is 2400 that is used to show midnight at the end of a day.

Is military time the same as the 24-hour clock?

The formats are closely related, but their notation can differ. Military time is generally written without a colon, while civilian 24-hour time commonly uses a colon.

How can I convert military time without a calculator?

To convert the time from 1300 to 2359, subtract 12 from the number of the hour and append PM. To convert time from morning, retain the hour number and append AM, ensuring you add a leading zero where required.