HOUR function

Quick answer

HOUR returns the hour of a time as a number from 0 to 23, so 1:45 PM gives 13.

Syntax: =HOUR(serial_number)
Most common use: =HOUR(A2) returns 13 (The time part of 1/5/2026 1:45 PM: 13)

Use it to bucket timestamps by hour, flag late check-ins or count orders per hour. It reads the time part of a date and time, and also accepts times typed as text, like "1:45 PM".

Available in: Every current version
Category: Date functions
Returns: A whole number from 0 to 23.
Google Sheets: Works the same in Google Sheets.

Syntax

=HOUR(serial_number)

Argument	Required?	What it is
`serial_number`	Required	A time, a date and time, or time text.

Examples

Each result below is calculated from the sample sheet by our formula engine, the same one that grades the practice.

Cell	Formula	Result	What it shows
B2	=HOUR(A2)	13	The time part of 1/5/2026 1:45 PM: 13
B3	=HOUR(A3)	7	7:30 AM is hour 7
B4	=HOUR(A4)	18	Time typed as text works too: 18

Try it live

This is the sample sheet. Change any number or text, or edit a formula, and the results update.

Show the sample data as a table

Timestamp	Result
1/5/2026 13:45:00	13
7:30 AM	7
6:05 PM	18

Practice HOUR

Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.

Hour of each order

In B2, return the hour (0–23) of each order timestamp in A2. Fill down to B7.

Common mistakes

What you see	Why, and how to fix it
#VALUE!	The cell holds text that isn't a time. Look for stray characters.
Always 0	The cell holds a date with no time, which is midnight.

Tips

=SUMPRODUCT(--(HOUR(A2:A100)=9)) counts timestamps in the 9 AM hour without a helper column.

Questions

How do I extract the hour from a time in Excel?

=HOUR(A2) returns 0–23. =TEXT(A2,"h AM/PM") gives a label like 1 PM.

How do I turn a time into decimal hours?

=A2*24 turns a time into hours as a decimal: 1:30 becomes 1.5.

Updated October 28, 2026Checked by running: every formula on this page was run by our formula engine on October 30, 2026.