How to get the difference between two dates rounded to hours

Calculating time with precision

For more detail that includes minutes as decimals:

SELECT TIME_TO_SEC(TIMEDIFF('EndDateTime', 'StartDateTime')) / 3600 AS DecimalHoursDifference
-- You must divide by 3600. Because 60sec*60min = 3600 sec! Yeah, math!


Including all time elements

To showcase full time details:

SELECT TIME_FORMAT(SEC_TO_TIME(TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, 'StartDateTime', 'EndDateTime')), '%H hours, %i minutes and %s seconds') AS FormattedTimeDifference
-- Because Time waits for no one! ⌛


This paints your time difference with hours, minutes, and seconds.

Catering to specific time elements

To pinpoint the exact minutes and seconds:

SELECT TIMESTAMPDIFF(MINUTE, 'StartDateTime', 'EndDateTime') AS MinutesDifference,
       TIMESTAMPDIFF(SECOND, 'StartDateTime', 'EndDateTime') AS SecondsDifference
-- Who said time can't be fractioned? Certainly not this SQL query!


Displaying time in human language

Turn the time difference into a friendly format:

SELECT CONCAT(
  FLOOR(TIMESTAMPDIFF(MINUTE, 'StartDateTime', 'EndDateTime') / 60), ' hours and ',
  MOD(TIMESTAMPDIFF(MINUTE, 'StartDateTime', 'EndDateTime'), 60), ' minutes'
) AS ReadableTimeDifference
-- Because digital time is "so last millisecond" 🕰


This makes it clear and easy to interpret.

Tackling edge cases

When diving into date and time functions, keep these points in mind:

• Time zones: Use the CONVERT_TZ function to adjust dates between time zones.
• Daylight saving: Changes due to daylight saving can impact calculations.
• Leap seconds: Rare but may introduce discrepancies. SQL fails to factor this, but don't forget!