Python timedelta

The Python timedelta function is available in the datetime library. We use this Python timedelta function to calculate the difference between two dates. Or, you can use this to predict the past dates and future dates.

In this article, we will show you the maximum number of examples of this Python timedelta.

The basic syntax behind this Python timedelta is as shown below

datetime.timedelta(days = 0, seconds = 0, microseconds = 0, milliseconds = 0, minutes = 0, hours = 0, weeks = 0)

Python timedelta Examples

This is a basic example to show, how the timedelta works.

# Python timedelta Example
import datetime
 
print("Microseconds = ", datetime.timedelta(microseconds = 1))
print("Milliseconds = ", datetime.timedelta(milliseconds = 1))
print("Seconds      = ", datetime.timedelta(seconds = 1))
print("Minutes      = ", datetime.timedelta(minutes = 1))
print("Hours        = ", datetime.timedelta(hours = 1))
print("Days         = ", datetime.timedelta(days = 1))
print("Weeks        = ", datetime.timedelta(weeks = 1))

OUTPUT

timedelta attributes

The timedelta object has three special attributes min, max, resolution to return the most negative, most positive and smallest difference between two non equal timedelta objects.

import datetime
 
print("Minimum = ", datetime.timedelta.min)
print("Maximum = ", datetime.timedelta.max)
print("Resoultion = ", datetime.timedelta.resolution)

OUTPUT

Python timedelta Future Dates

Let me give you a simple example to return the dates one year from now, and two years from now. Something like, predicting future dates. 

# Python timedelta Example
 
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_after_one_year = current_dt + timedelta(days = 365)
print("Date and Time After One Year : ", str(dt_after_one_year))
 
dt_after_two_years = current_dt + timedelta(days = 730)
print("Date and Time of Two Years from Now : ", str(dt_after_two_years))

OUTPUT

Python timedelta Past Dates

Here, we used the subtraction to find the past dates. From the below code, days = 730 means subtracting 730 days from current date.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_two_years = current_dt - timedelta(days = 730)
print("Date and Time before Two Years from Now : ", str(dt_before_two_years))
 
dt_before_six_years = current_dt - timedelta(days = 2190)
print("Date and Time before Six Years from Now : ", str(dt_before_six_years))
 
dt_before_thirty_years = current_dt - timedelta(days = 10950)
print("Date and Time before Thirty Years       : ", str(dt_before_thirty_years))

OUTPUT

Python timedelta Week

In this example, we are using the weeks argument inside the timedelta function to find the date before and after 2 weeks / 4 weeks from now. 

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_two_weeks = current_dt - timedelta(weeks = 2)
print("DateTime before Two Weeks from Now : ", str(dt_before_two_weeks))
 
dt_after_two_weeks = current_dt + timedelta(weeks = 2)
print("DateTime after Two Weeks from Now  : ", str(dt_after_two_weeks))
 
print()
dt_before_four_weeks = current_dt - timedelta(weeks = 4)
print("DateTime before Four Weeks from Now : ", str(dt_before_four_weeks))
 
dt_after_six_weeks = current_dt + timedelta(weeks = 6)
print("DateTime after Six Weeks from Now  : ", str(dt_after_six_weeks))

OUTPUT

Python timedelta Days

In this example, we are using the days argument inside the timedelta function to return the date before and after 2 days from now. 

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_two_days = current_dt - timedelta(days = 2)
print("Date and Time before Two Days from Now : ", str(dt_before_two_days))
 
dt_after_two_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = 2)
print("Date and Time of Two Days from Now     : ", str(dt_after_two_days))

OUTPUT

Here, we are returning the date (not Date and Time) before and after two days from now. 

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
dt = datetime.now()
 
current_dt = dt.date()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_two_days = current_dt - timedelta(days = 2)
print("Date and Time before Two Days from Now : ", str(dt_before_two_days))
 
dt_after_five_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = 2)
print("Date and Time of Five Days from Now    : ", str(dt_after_five_days))

OUTPUT

Python timedelta Hours

This example returns date and time before and after two hours from now.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_two_hours = current_dt - timedelta(hours = 2)
print("Date and Time before Two Hours from Now : ", str(dt_before_two_hours))
 
dt_after_two_hours = current_dt + timedelta(hours = 2)
print("Date and Time of Two Hours from Now     : ", str(dt_after_two_hours))

OUTPUT

timedelta Minutes

In this example, we are using timedelta to return DateTime before two minutes, and after 6 minutes from now.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_two_minutes = current_dt - timedelta(minutes = 2)
print("Date and Time before Two Minutes from Now : ", str(dt_before_two_minutes))
 
dt_after_six_minutes = current_dt + timedelta(minutes = 6)
print("Date and Time After Six Minutes from Now  : ", str(dt_after_six_minutes))

OUTPUT

timedelta Seconds

In this example, we are using timedelta to return DateTime before twenty seconds, and after 90 seconds from now.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_twenty_seconds = current_dt - timedelta(seconds = 20)
print("DateTime before Twenty seconds : ", str(dt_before_twenty_seconds))
 
dt_after_ninty_seconds = current_dt + timedelta(seconds = 90)
print("DateTime After Ninty seconds  : ", str(dt_after_ninty_seconds))

OUTPUT

timedelta Milliseconds

This example returns date and time before 10000 milliseconds and after 9000000 milliseconds from now.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_mseconds = current_dt - timedelta(milliseconds = 10000)
print("DateTime before Ten Thousand Milliseconds : ", str(dt_before_mseconds))
 
dt_after_mseconds = current_dt + timedelta(milliseconds = 900000)
print("DateTime After 900000 Milliseconds  : ", str(dt_after_mseconds))

OUTPUT

Python timedelta Multiple Arguments

Until now, we are using the timedelta with a single argument. In this example, we are using more than one argument. current_dt – timedelta(days = 2, hours = 2) returns date and time before 2 days and 2 hours from now.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_days = current_dt - timedelta(days = 2, hours = 2)
print("Before Date and Time  : ", str(dt_before_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = 3, hours = 4)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))
 
dt_before_days = current_dt - timedelta(days = 2, hours = 2, minutes = 10)
print("Before Date and Time  : ", str(dt_before_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = 3, hours = 4, seconds = 20)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))

OUTPUT

If you know the arguments order, and you are using them in the same order then you don’t need the name. I mean, you can simply place argument values. current_dt – timedelta(2, 2) returns date and time before 2 days and 2 seconds from now.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_days = current_dt - timedelta(2, 2)
print("Before Date and Time  : ", str(dt_before_days))
 
dt_before_days = current_dt - timedelta(2, 2, 2)
print("Before Date and Time  : ", str(dt_before_days))
 
dt_before_days = current_dt - timedelta(2, 2, 0, 2, 0, 2)
print("Before Date and Time  : ", str(dt_before_days))
 
dt_before_days = current_dt - timedelta(2, 2, 0, 2, 0, 2, 1)
print("Before Date and Time  : ", str(dt_before_days))

OUTPUT

Here, we are using the timedelta with argument values to predict the future dates.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(3, 3)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(3, 3, 3, 3)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(3, 3, 0, 0, 3, 3)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(3, 0, 0, 4, 2, 3, 1)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(3, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 5)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))

OUTPUT

Python timedelta Negative Values

Until now, we are subtracted the current date and time with timedelta values. However, you can use negative values as the timedelta arguments. For instance, current_dt + timedelta(days = -35) returns date before 35 days from now.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = -35)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = -3, hours = -4)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))
 
dt_after_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = -10, hours = -40, minutes = -10)
print("After  Date and Time  : ", str(dt_after_days))

OUTPUT

Find total Seconds using Python timedelta

This example returns the total number of seconds in an Hour, Day, Year and Week

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
dt = timedelta(hours = 1)
print("One Hour                  = ", dt)
print("Total Seconds in One Hour = ", dt.total_seconds())
 
dt = timedelta(days = 1)
print("One Day                   = ", dt)
print("Total Seconds in One day  = ", dt.total_seconds())
 
dt = timedelta(days = 365)
print("Total Days                = ", dt)
print("Total Seconds in a Year   = ", dt.total_seconds())
 
dt = timedelta(weeks = 1)
print("One Week                  = ", dt)
print("Total Seconds in a Week   = ", dt.total_seconds())

OUTPUT

Python timedelta strftime

In this example, we are using the timedelta function to predict the future dates. Next, we are using the strftime function to format the date and times.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_after = current_dt + timedelta(days = 30)
print("Formatted DateTime  : ", dt_after.strftime('%Y/%M/%d %H:%M:%S %p'))
 
dt_after = current_dt + timedelta(days = 365)
print("Formatted DateTime  : ", dt_after.strftime('%A, %d %b %Y'))
 
dt_after = current_dt + timedelta(days = 365)
print("Formatted DateTime  : ", dt_after.strftime('%A, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S %p'))

OUTPUT

Python Time difference

In this example, we are finding the time difference between current date and the date returned by the timedelta.

from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 
current_dt = datetime.now()
print("Current Date and Time : ", str(current_dt))
 
dt_before_ten_days = current_dt - timedelta(days = 10)
print("DateTime before Ten Days from Now : ", str(dt_before_ten_days))
print("Time Difference = ", current_dt - dt_before_ten_days)
 
dt_after_two_days = current_dt + timedelta(days = 2)
print("DateTime of Two Days from Now     : ", str(dt_after_two_days))
print("Time Difference = ", current_dt - dt_after_two_days)

OUTPUT

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