Quick answer: 1600 military time is 4:00 PM in regular time.
That’s it. If you see 1600 on a schedule, a work roster, or a medical chart, it just means four o’clock in the afternoon.
But if you want to know how we got there (and how to do the math yourself for any time), keep reading. It takes about 30 seconds to learn.
How to Convert 1600 to Regular Time
The trick is simple. For any military time over 1200, just subtract 12 from the first two digits. That gives you the regular time.
So for 1600:
16 minus 12 = 4
That means 1600 is 4:00 PM. Done.
This works for every afternoon and evening time. 1300 is 1:00 PM. 1700 is 5:00 PM. 2100 is 9:00 PM. Same formula every time.
What About Minutes?
Minutes work the same way in military time and regular time. Nothing changes.
So if you see 1630, that’s 4:30 PM. If you see 1645, that’s 4:45 PM. If you see 1615, that’s 4:15 PM.
Just convert the hour and leave the minutes alone.
How to Say 1600 Out Loud
There are a couple of ways people say it:
“Sixteen hundred” is the most common way. You’ll hear this in hospitals, police stations, and on military bases.
“Sixteen hundred hours” is a more formal version. This is what you’ll hear in movies and on TV, but plenty of people use it in real life too.
If there are minutes, you just read the numbers. 1630 is “sixteen thirty.” 1645 is “sixteen forty five.”
When Would You Actually See 1600?
You’ll run into 1600 more often than you think.
At work. A lot of shift schedules use 24 hour time. If your shift ends at 1600, you’re clocking out at 4:00 PM.
At the hospital. Nurses and doctors use military time for everything. If a medication is due at 1600, that means 4:00 PM. No chance of mixing it up with 4:00 AM.
On travel schedules. Airlines and train systems in many countries use 24 hour time. A 1600 departure means your flight leaves at 4:00 PM.
Quick Reference: Times Around 1600
| Military Time | Regular Time |
|---|---|
| 1500 | 3:00 PM |
| 1600 | 4:00 PM |
| 1700 | 5:00 PM |
Going the Other Way: 4:00 PM to Military Time
If someone asks you to write 4:00 PM in military time, just add 12 to the hour.
4 plus 12 = 16
So 4:00 PM becomes 1600. And 4:30 PM becomes 1630.
For morning times (AM), the conversion is even easier. You just drop the AM and add a zero in front if the hour is a single digit. But since 1600 is always an afternoon time, you’ll always be adding 12.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 1600 AM or PM?
1600 is PM. It equals 4:00 PM in standard time. Any military time from 1200 to 2359 is always PM.
How do you say 1600 in military time?
Say it as “sixteen hundred” or “sixteen hundred hours.” With minutes, 1630 is “sixteen thirty.”
How do you convert 1600 to regular time?
Subtract 12 from the hour. 16 minus 12 equals 4, so 1600 is 4:00 PM.
Need to convert a different time? Check out the full military time chart or use our instant converter to look up any time in seconds.
