# How to convert a time to seconds in Excel

Multiply by 86,400, the seconds in a day: `=B2*86400`.

**Excel:** `=B2*86400` (Every current version)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B | C |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Runner | Finish time | Seconds |
| Okafor | 0.01545138888888889 |  |
| Lind | 0.01375 |  |
| Reyes | 0.017395833333333333 |  |
| Tanaka | 0.043402777777777776 |  |
| Brandt | 0.02221064814814815 |  |

Formula in C2, filled to C6: `=B2*86400`

Result: 1335; 1188; 1503; 3750; 1919

## How it works

A day has 86,400 seconds (24 × 60 × 60) and a time is a fraction of a day, so multiplying by 86400 converts it to seconds: a 22:15 race is 1,335 seconds.

## Other ways

- `=ROUND(B2*86400,0)`: Whole seconds, which is safer before comparing. (Rounds away fractions of a second.)
- `=B2*24*60*60`: The same, spelled out.

## Common mistakes

- A time typed as 22:15 is read as 22 hours and 15 minutes. Type 0:22:15 for 22 minutes 15 seconds.
- Floating-point results like 1334.9999 need ROUND before you compare them or use them as lookup keys.

## Questions

**How do I convert seconds back to a time?**

`=C2/86400`, formatted as h:mm:ss.

**How do I average the race times?**

Average the times directly, `=AVERAGE(B2:B6)`, and format the result as h:mm:ss.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/convert-time-to-seconds