Syntax
HOUR(serial_number)
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| serial_number | Parameter of the HOUR function. |
Examples
Get hour from time
Formula
=HOUR("2:30 PM")
Returns 14 — the 24-hour equivalent of 2:30 PM.
Classify by time of day
Formula
=IF(HOUR(A1)<12, "Morning", IF(HOUR(A1)<17, "Afternoon", "Evening"))
Classifies timestamps: before noon is Morning, noon-5 PM is Afternoon, after 5 PM is Evening.
Extract from datetime
Formula
=HOUR("2026-04-09 15:45:00")
Returns 15 — extracts just the hour component from a full datetime value, ignoring the date and minutes.
Common Errors
#VALUE!
Occurs when the argument is text that cannot be interpreted as a time or datetime value.
Tips
Returns 0-23
HOUR always returns in 24-hour format. 12:00 AM = 0, 12:00 PM = 12, 11:00 PM = 23. There is no AM/PM variant.
Pair with MINUTE and SECOND
Use HOUR, MINUTE, and SECOND together to decompose any time value into its components for custom formatting or arithmetic.
Hourly grouping
=HOUR(A1) as a pivot field or SUMIFS criteria groups data by hour of day. Great for analyzing peak hours in transaction data.
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