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Function: HOUR
In this guide, we’re going to show you how to use the Excel HOUR function and also throw in some tips and error handling methods.
The Excel Hour function is a Date & Time formula that parses and returns the hour value from a time value. The return value is an integer, ranging from 0 (12:00 A.M.) to 23 (11:00 P.M.). In this guide, we’re going to show you how to use the Excel HOUR function and also go over some tips and error handling methods.
Supported versions
- All Excel versions
Excel HOUR Function Syntax
HOUR(serial_number)
Arguments
| serial_number | The time value that contains the hours you want to find. You can use a text string like "8:30" or a decimal number like 0.24125 (in Excel this value means 5:47:24 AM). |
Excel HOUR Function Examples
The Excel HOUR function only needs single argument to execute, serial_number. Although the argument name contains "number" in its name, Excel can evaluate time values in strings as well. Simply enter the serial_number as a static value, a cell reference, or a return value from a function that can able to generate a time value. Functions like TIME and TIMEVALUE can be used for this purpose.
=HOUR(0.256) returns 6
=HOUR(TIMEVALUE("28:36")) returns 4 because HOUR resets time after 24.
Tips
- Excel stores date and time as numbers. Excel assumes that the date 1/1/1900 is “1″, and increases this number by 1 for each subsequent day. As a result of this, the time values would have to be between 0 and 999999999. For example; 6:00 AM is equal to 0.25. Because of this, the HOUR function in Excel returns a number that is displayed as a time value.
- VBA also has a function that shares the same name. The use case for both functions are very similar.
[vb] Dim MyTime, MyHour
MyTime = #4:35:17 PM# ' Assign a time.
MyHour = Hour(MyTime) ' MyHour contains 16. [/vb]- You can use MINUTE and SECOND functions to get minute and second values from a time value respectively.
Issues
- The HOUR function returns a #NUM! error, if the serial_number entered is negative or greater than the limit of 999999999.