How Many Seconds in a Day? (Answer: 86,400)

There are 86,400 seconds in one day. That's 24 hours × 60 minutes × 60 seconds = 86,400. Every single day, whether it feels long or short, contains precisely this many seconds.

Answer 86,400

Conversion table

Time periodEquivalent
1 hour3,600 seconds
1 day86,400 seconds
1 week604,800 seconds
1 month (30 days)2,592,000 seconds
1 year (365 days)31,536,000 seconds

Why 86,400?

The math is simple: a day has 24 hours, each hour has 60 minutes, and each minute has 60 seconds. Multiply them together: 24 × 60 × 60 = 86,400. This has been true since the Babylonians settled on a sexagesimal (base-60) system for time — and it hasn't changed since.

Seconds remaining today

Curious how many seconds you have left today? Our countdown calculator shows you exactly that — live, down to the second.