Converting Minutes to Hours in Decimal or Hour & Minute Format

Quick and easy calculations for whichever hour format you need

Co-authored by Christopher M. Osborne, PhD

Last Updated: March 7, 2023

Not sure how to change a measure of time in minutes to one in hours? Not to worry! It's easy to make this conversion in just a few simple steps. We’ll show you how dividing minutes by 60 (or, technically speaking, multiplying by 1/60) gives you the same measure of time in hours. And, if you end up with decimals (like 2.5 hours) and want hours and minutes (like 2:30 or 2h 30m), we’ll demonstrate how simple that conversion is as well.

Things You Should Know

Convert minutes to hours (with decimals) by multiplying by 1/60, which is the same as dividing by 60.
For example: 120 min x 1 hr/60 min = 2 hr (or 120/60 = 2)
To get hours and minutes (hh:mm), convert minutes to hours the same way as described above, then multiply the decimal part by 60.
For example: 90/60 = 1.5 → 0.5 x 60 = 30 → 90 min = 1:30

Sample Minutes to Hours Converter

Minutes to Hours Converter

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Minutes to Hours (With Decimals)

1
Jot down the given number of minutes. If you're working on paper, simply write out the number of minutes and label it “minutes,” “min.,” or “m.” If you're using a calculator or computer, just type in the number.
- As an example, let's say that we want to find out how many hours a 150-minute movie will be. In this case, we'll start by writing down 150 minutes.
2
Multiply the minutes by "1 hour/60 minutes." Next to your minutes notation, write (or type) a multiplication sign and the fraction “1 hour/60 minutes.” This fraction shows how many minutes are in an hour (60). When we multiply, we'll end up with the correct units, too (since the two "minutes" cancel out).^{[1]
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- Our example looks like this: 150 minutes x 1 hour/60 minutes.
- Multiplying by 1/60 is the same as dividing by 60 (or, more accurately for our example, dividing by “60 minutes/1 hour” to cancel out the units). So, if you’re just looking for the fastest way to convert from minutes to hours, use a calculator to divide the number of minutes by 60.
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3
Solve the equation to convert minutes to hours. Now you just need to do the math! The answer you get will be the number of hours in decimal form (if it’s not a whole number).
- In our example, 150 minutes x 1 hour/60 minutes = 2.5 hours (or 2 1/2 hours). This is the same as 150 divided by 60 (150/60=2.5).
  - Here’s how the math plays out: rewrite 150 min. x 1 hr. / 60 min. as (150 min. x 1 hr.) / 60 min; divide 150 min. by 60 min. to get 2.5 x 1 hr., or 2.5 hrs. (the minutes cancel out).
- Here are a couple more examples, just for fun:
  - Example 2—Convert 240 minutes to hours.
  - 240 minutes x 1 hour / 60 minutes [or 240/60] = 4 hours
  - Example 3—Convert 765 minutes to hours.
  - 765 minutes x 1 hour / 60 minutes [or 765/60] = 12.75 hours
4
Convert hours and minutes to just hours in a similar fashion. Sometimes, time measurements are given like this: x hours y minutes. In this case, convert only the "y minutes" portion to hours, then add it to the "x hours" portion. This gives you the total time in (just) hours.^{[2]
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- For example, let's say that we need to convert 3 hours and 9 minutes to just hours. To do this, all we need to do is figure out how many hours 9 minutes is, then add it to 3 hours:
  - 9 minutes x 1 hour / 60 minutes = 9/60 = 0.15 hours
  - 3 hours + 0.15 hours = 3.15 hours
- Another example—Convert 16h 45m to hours only:
  - 45m x 1h / 60m = 0.75h
  - 16h + 0.75h = 16.75h

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Minutes to Hours & Minutes (hh:mm)

1
Convert minutes to hours by dividing by 60. Converting to hour and minute (hh:mm) format starts the same way as converting to just hours (with decimals as needed). Technically speaking you need to multiply by 1/60, but it’s simpler to say you’re just dividing by 60.^{[3]
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- Let’s say, for example, we want to convert 260 minutes to hours:
  - 260 minutes x 1 hour/60 minutes [or 260/60] = 4.33 hours
2
Multiply the decimal component (or fraction) by 60. Unless your minutes converted to a whole number of hours (like 4), you'll have an answer with a decimal (4.33) or fraction (4 1/3) in it. Multiply only this decimal/fraction component by 60—leave the whole number portion alone. Label your answer as "minutes".^{[4]
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- For our example (4.33 hours), multiply just 0.33 by 60:
  - 0.33 x 60 = 20 minutes (Technically it’s 0.33 hours x 60 min / 1 hour = 20 minutes, which cancels out the hours units and leaves us with minutes.)
- If we use a fraction instead of a decimal, we get the same answer:
  - 1/3 x 60 = 20 minutes
3
Write your answer as hours and minutes. The answer you just got is the minutes part of your final answer. You already know the hours part—it's the whole number you got when you made the initial conversion. Write your answer as hh:mm or xh ym, depending on your needs:
- In our example, our first answer was 4.33 hours. We determined that the 0.33 component is equal to 20 minutes, so we’ll write our answer as either 4:20 or 4h 20m.
- Here’s another example—Convert 1290 minutes to hours and minutes (hh:mm):
  - 1290 / 60 = 21.5 (1290 min. = 21.5 hrs.)
  - 0.5 x 60 = 30 (0.5 hrs. = 30 min.)
  - Answer: 1290 min. = 21.5 hrs. = 21:30 (21h 30m)
- And one more example—Convert 277.5 minutes to hh:mm:ss format:
  - 277.5 / 60 = 4.625 (277.5 min. = 4.625 hrs.)
  - 0.625 x 60 = 37.5 (0.625 hrs. = 37.5 min.)
  - 0.5 x 60 = 30 (0.5 min. = 30 sec.)
  - Answer: 277.5 min. = 4.625 hrs. = 4:37:30 (4h 37m 30s)

Community Q&A

Question

How do I convert 4 hours and 48 minutes into hours?

Community Answer

48 minutes is 4/5 of an hour, so it would be 4 and 4/5 hours.
Question

How do I write 1 hour and 15 minutes to two decimal points?

Community Answer

First, convert 15 minutes to hours by dividing 15 by 60, which is .25. Add one hour, and your result is 1.25.
Question

How do I find the ratio of 40 minutes to 1 and a half hours?

Donagan

Top Answerer

It is the ratio of 40 minutes to 90 minutes. 40:90 = 4:9.