How to Count Both Arrival and Departure Dates in Excel
Question details
The user needs an Excel formula that counts both the arrival date and the departure date in a date range, rather than only the elapsed days between them.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheet (Excel compatible)
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Calculating stay duration or inclusive date ranges where the first and last days should both be counted.
- Observed behavior
- A basic formula such as =B2-A2 returns 1 for March 3 to March 4, but the expected inclusive count is 2.
Make sure your arrival and departure cells contain real dates, not text, and that both cells use a consistent Date format. Identify which column holds the departure date and which holds the arrival date before creating the formula.
Add 1 to the departure-minus-arrival formula to include both dates
Use this method when you want the first and last dates of a period to be counted, such as hotel nights, rental days, or inclusive project dates.
Excel and WPS Office store dates as sequential serial numbers, so subtracting one date from another returns the number of whole days between them. Adding 1 converts that elapsed-day count into an inclusive day count.
Click the cell where the inclusive day count should appear, for example C2.
Type =B2-A2+1, where B2 is the departure date and A2 is the arrival date. If your workbook uses named ranges, use =DepartureDate-ArrivalDate+1 instead.
Press Enter and check the returned number. With March 3 in A2 and March 4 in B2, the formula returns 2.
Count inclusive arrival and departure dates in WPS Office Spreadsheets
WPS Office Spreadsheets supports the same Excel date formulas, so you can count both arrival and departure dates with =B2-A2+1 without changing your workflow.
- 1. Open your workbook: Launch WPS Office Spreadsheets and open the .xlsx or .xls file that contains the arrival and departure dates.
- 2. Select the result cell: Click the cell where you want the inclusive day total to appear.
- 3. Enter the formula: Type =B2-A2+1 or =DepartureDate-ArrivalDate+1, then press Enter.
- 4. Verify the result: Confirm that the cell shows the expected inclusive count, such as 2 for March 3 to March 4.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I count both arrival and departure dates in Excel?
Use =DepartureDate-ArrivalDate+1. With cell references, put the departure date in B2 and arrival date in A2, then use =B2-A2+1.
Why do I need to add 1 to the date difference?
Excel stores dates as serial numbers and subtraction counts the full days between them. Adding 1 includes both endpoint dates, so March 3 to March 4 returns 2 instead of 1.
Does this formula count weekends and holidays?
Yes, =B2-A2+1 counts all calendar days including weekends and holidays. If you need only working days, use NETWORKDAYS or NETWORKDAYS.INTL instead.
Can I use names instead of cell references in this date formula?
Yes, WPS Office and Excel accept named ranges. If your workbook defines ArrivalDate and DepartureDate, use =DepartureDate-ArrivalDate+1.
How can I avoid a date result when using this formula?
Set the result cell to General or Number format. If the cell is formatted as Date, Excel may display the numeric result as an unexpected date instead of a day count.
