Google Sheets Combine Date and Time: How It Works

Updated 5 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

Yes. Google Sheets can combine a date and a time into one date-time value: add the date cell to the time cell, or use a formula such as =A2+B2. Format the result as a date and time to display both parts clearly; the underlying value remains usable for sorting, filtering, and calculations.

How date and time values work in Sheets

Sheets stores dates and times as numbers. A date is represented by a whole-number serial value, while a time is the fraction of a day that has elapsed since midnight. For example, noon is one-half of a day, or 0.5. Adding the two values therefore produces a single number representing a specific date and time.

Suppose cell A2 contains a date and B2 contains a time. The formula =A2+B2 combines them. If A2 is 6 November 2026 and B2 is 2:30 PM, the result represents 6 November 2026 at 2:30 PM. The displayed format depends on the formatting applied to the result cell.

This is a real date-time value, not merely text that looks like one. That distinction matters: date-time values can be sorted chronologically and used in calculations, whereas text entries may not behave as expected.

Combine date and time with a formula

To combine separate cells, enter a formula in an empty cell. The simplest approach is:

=A2+B2 adds the date in A2 to the time in B2.
=DATEVALUE(A2)+TIMEVALUE(B2) can help when the source cells contain date and time text that Sheets recognizes.
=A2+B2 can be filled down a column to combine matching date and time rows.

For the second formula, the input strings need to be recognizable as dates and times under the spreadsheet’s locale settings. If A2 and B2 are already true date and time values, ordinary addition is generally simpler and less error-prone.

For example, if a schedule has dates in column A and start times in column B, put =A2+B2 in C2, then copy or fill the formula down. Each row will combine its own date and time.

Format the result to show both parts

A correct calculation can appear to show only a date, a time, or a number if the result cell’s format does not include both components. To change it, select the result cells and choose Format > Number > Custom date and time. Select or enter a format that includes the date and time, such as a date followed by hours and minutes.

In a custom format, date symbols and time symbols determine what appears. A common 24-hour display uses a pattern equivalent to year-month-day and hour:minute; a 12-hour display includes an AM/PM marker. The exact presentation can vary with locale and spreadsheet settings. Formatting changes what is shown, not the stored value.

If the result is displayed as a decimal such as 46332.60417, that usually means the cell is formatted as a number rather than a date-time. Apply a date-and-time format instead of changing the formula.

Enter or convert dates and times reliably

Sheets may interpret typed dates differently depending on the spreadsheet’s locale. For example, a numeric date written with slashes can be ambiguous between month-first and day-first conventions. Check the spreadsheet’s locale under File > Settings if entries are being interpreted unexpectedly, and use an unambiguous date format when sharing data across regions.

Time entries should also be valid time values. Typing a time into a cell and applying a time format usually works, but imported data may arrive as text. A quick clue is that a value may align or behave differently from neighboring numeric entries, though alignment alone is not a definitive test. Try a simple calculation or inspect the cell format before converting data.

When a text value is recognized, DATEVALUE converts date text to a date serial and TIMEVALUE converts time text to a fraction of a day. If either function returns an error, review spelling, extra spaces, separators, and locale-specific conventions. Do not assume that every written date or time format will be understood the same way in every spreadsheet.

Overnight times and date changes

Adding a time to a date handles the time on that date, but schedules that cross midnight need special thought. If a start date is in A2 and a start time in B2, while the end time in C2 is earlier than the start time, adding C2 directly to the same date can make the calculated end appear earlier.

One way to account for a known overnight shift is to add one day to the end date when the end time is after midnight. For example, if the date is in A2 and the end time is in C2, a formula such as =A2+C2+1 represents the following day. Use this only when the event is known to finish the next day; otherwise it incorrectly advances the date.

For a full schedule, storing the actual start and end date-time values is often clearest. Then subtracting the start from the end gives an elapsed duration. Format a duration result appropriately, especially if it may exceed 24 hours; a clock-style time format can wrap around and make a long duration look shorter.

Common problems and useful checks

Only the date appears: Set a custom date-and-time format for the result cell.
A decimal appears: The formula may be correct; change the number format from a plain number to date and time.
The formula returns an error: Check that the referenced cells contain valid dates and times, not unrecognized text.
The combined time is wrong by hours or days: Check locale interpretation, AM/PM, and whether an overnight date change is needed.
Sorting looks incorrect: Confirm the combined values are numeric date-times, rather than text strings formatted to look similar.

A related misconception is that a custom format itself combines separate cells. It does not: formatting only controls how one value is displayed. Use addition or a conversion formula to create the combined value first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What formula combines a date and time in Google Sheets?
Use =A2+B2 when A2 contains a date value and B2 contains a time value. Then format the result to display both.

Can I combine date and time without a formula?
You can type both into one cell as a date-time entry, provided Sheets recognizes the format. Separate cells plus a formula are usually easier to maintain when dates or times change.

Why does my combined date and time show as a number?
Sheets stores date-times numerically. Apply a date-and-time number format to display the value as a readable date and clock time.

How do I combine date and time text?
If Sheets recognizes the text, try =DATEVALUE(A2)+TIMEVALUE(B2). If it fails, check the spelling, separators, spaces, and spreadsheet locale.

How do I handle a time after midnight?
Add the next day to the date when the event genuinely crosses midnight. For example, add 1 to the date serial before adding the end time; avoid doing this for same-day events.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.