Converting units of time
Time is quoted in whatever unit is convenient at the moment — a recipe in minutes, a flight in hours, a project in days. Converting between them is just multiplication or division by the right factor, but keeping the factors straight is where a converter earns its keep.
Converting a unit of time means expressing the same duration in a different unit — 90 minutes as 1.5 hours, or 3 days as 72 hours. The time converter does it instantly, and this guide covers the factors behind it so you can sanity-check any result. It sits alongside the wider date and time tools.
The conversion factors to remember
| From | To | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| 1 minute | Seconds | × 60 |
| 1 hour | Minutes | × 60 |
| 1 hour | Seconds | × 3,600 |
| 1 day | Hours | × 24 |
| 1 day | Minutes | × 1,440 |
| 1 week | Days | × 7 |
Worked examples
- 240 minutes to hours. Minutes to hours is smaller to larger, so divide: 240 ÷ 60 = 4 hours.
- 2.5 hours to minutes. Hours to minutes is larger to smaller, so multiply: 2.5 × 60 = 150 minutes.
- 3 days to seconds. Chain the factors: 3 × 24 × 3,600 = 259,200 seconds.
Rather than chaining factors by hand, type the value into the time converter and read every unit at once.
A note on days, weeks and beyond
Seconds, minutes, hours and days convert with fixed factors. Once you reach months and years the factors stop being exact — months vary from 28 to 31 days, and a year is 365 or 366 days. When precision across months matters, measure the actual calendar gap with the date difference calculator instead of multiplying by an average month length.
Related tools and questions
- Have a start and end date and want the duration? Use the date difference calculator, explained in counting the days between two dates.
- Working out an exact age? The age calculator reports years, months and days — see how to calculate your age.
Frequently asked questions
How many seconds are in an hour?
There are 3,600 seconds in an hour (60 minutes × 60 seconds).
How many minutes are in a day?
There are 1,440 minutes in a day (24 hours × 60 minutes).
How do I convert minutes to hours?
Divide the number of minutes by 60, or enter it into the time converter to see hours, days and seconds at the same time.
Why does the converter not go past weeks reliably?
Because months and years are not a fixed number of days. For durations that cross months, use the date difference calculator for an exact count.
Convert time units now
Open the time converter to switch between seconds, minutes, hours and days instantly, or return to the date and time tools guide to explore date differences and calendars.
