Military time and 24-hour time refer to the same 24-hour clock, but they are often written and used a little differently. Both run from midnight through the end of the day without using AM or PM.
For example, 5:00 PM is 17:00 in 24-hour notation and is commonly written as 1700 in military time.
Military Time vs. 24-Hour Time at a Glance
| Feature | Military Time | 24-Hour Time |
|---|---|---|
| Clock range | 0000 through 2359 | 00:00 through 23:59 |
| Colon | Often written without a colon | Usually written with a colon |
| AM and PM | Not used | Not used |
| Example for 5:00 PM | 1700 | 17:00 |
| Typical use | Military and operational schedules | International, travel, technical, and everyday schedules |
Are Military Time and 24-Hour Time the Same?
They use the same underlying clock. The key difference is formatting and convention.
Military time is commonly written as four digits, such as 0800, 1430, or 1700. Standard 24-hour notation is commonly written with a colon, such as 08:00, 14:30, or 17:00.
Both formats show the same moment. In most practical conversions, 1700 and 17:00 mean exactly the same time: 5:00 PM.
Military Time and 24-Hour Time Examples
| Standard Time | Military Time | 24-Hour Time |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 AM | 0000 | 00:00 |
| 1:05 AM | 0105 | 01:05 |
| 8:30 AM | 0830 | 08:30 |
| 12:00 PM | 1200 | 12:00 |
| 2:45 PM | 1445 | 14:45 |
| 5:00 PM | 1700 | 17:00 |
| 6:30 PM | 1830 | 18:30 |
| 11:59 PM | 2359 | 23:59 |
Why Does Military Time Usually Omit the Colon?
In military schedules and communications, four digits provide a compact, consistent format. Writing 1700 rather than 17:00 makes it easy to say “seventeen hundred hours” and keeps the hour and minute together as one time group.
Regular 24-hour time often uses a colon because it is familiar in digital clocks, train schedules, phone settings, and international time displays.
Midnight: 0000 vs. 00:00 vs. 2400
At the beginning of a new day, military time commonly uses 0000 and ordinary 24-hour notation uses 00:00. Both mean midnight.
Some schedules may use 2400 to identify the end of a particular day. For example, a deadline listed as 2400 can mean the final instant of that date. For routine timekeeping and new-day schedules, 0000 is generally the clearer starting point.
When Should You Use Military Time?
Use military time when clarity matters and you want to eliminate AM/PM. It is especially helpful for shift work, healthcare, aviation, emergency planning, logistics, and cross-time-zone coordination.
Use a colon-based 24-hour format when that is the convention of the system, country, device, or schedule you are reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 17:00 the same as 1700?
Yes. Both represent 5:00 PM. 17:00 is standard 24-hour notation, while 1700 is common military time formatting.
Does military time use a colon?
Military time is commonly written without a colon, such as 1730. A colon may still appear in some systems, but the time value is the same.
Is 0000 the same as 00:00?
Yes. Both mean 12:00 AM, or midnight.
Is 2400 valid military time?
2400 may appear in schedules to mean midnight at the end of a day. For the beginning of a new day, 0000 is the more common notation.
Read the full explanation of what military time is.
Convert standard AM/PM time to military time.