How Long Does a 500 Piece Puzzle Take?

Solving a 500 piece puzzle is one of the most favorite time pass for most puzzle aficionados. However, the duration to solve one depends on your level of expertise and other factors.  

The time to solve a 500 piece puzzle can take anything from 2 to 6 hours. However, every puzzle solver may have their own pace of doing a puzzle. Another factor is whether you like to do it in a single sitting or as and when you feel like it. Other factors that may influence your pace of solving these puzzles include the puzzle’s design factor, your mood, emotional state of mind, lifestyle, and health. However, you will still have a lot of fun while putting together a 500 piece puzzle.

500 piece jigsaw puzzles are a perfect specimen for beginners. Even if you are an adult with a busy lifestyle and looking for a short-term puzzle assembling thrill, then these smaller variants in the niche will not take too much of your time. The best part about puzzles is that you do not need to partner up with anyone to assemble them. Complete a little bit today and come back to it as and when convenient for you.

Solving a 500 Piece Puzzle

Typically or on average, it will take you 2 to 6 hours to assemble a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle. However, certain factors may result in prolonging the time it may require for you to complete a puzzle. For instance, if you tend to have a busy schedule and only get an hour or so to complete a puzzle, you may have to come back to it several times.

However, you will have to pick up the pieces from where you left, and it may take some time for you to recall your strategy. On the other hand, you may be someone who likes to do a jigsaw over a period of time because a single sitting stresses you out, and that is not the purpose of the activity.

Other factors that may affect your time to complete a 500 piece puzzle include the following

Puzzle’s Design

Not all puzzles come in the same pattern and designs.  There is no set formula or standard that all puzzle makers must follow. This keeps things fresh for you as a puzzle solver because every new puzzle represents a new challenge.

The design of each jigsaw varies depending on the level of difficulty. You can get the easier ones that you can solve probably in a matter of few hours, whereas, the ones with a complex design may take more than the average 6 hours.

Miniature jigsaw puzzles are the best example. These have such small pieces that you have to pick each piece using tweezers. Therefore, solving these is going to take a lot longer than your average-sized 500 piece puzzle.

Mood and Emotional State of Mind

Believe it or not, but your mood and emotions do affect your efficiency when it comes to solving a 500 piece puzzle. If you are really into solving a puzzle and loving it, you are more likely to complete it quickly. However, if you are feeling low for some reason or not really enjoying the puzzle, it may take longer to assemble the same puzzle.

Anxiety and stress are common reasons why it may take you longer to finish a puzzle, even with the simplest design. Frequent interruptions such as walking away to answer a phone call or the door can also put you off your game. Simply put, each time there is an interruption, it will take you a while to get back into where you were or what you were doing on the puzzle board.

Health Plays a Role

If you are suffering from poor health conditions such as vision issues, hand impairments, or hand-eye coordination, it may take longer to complete a 500 piece jigsaw. Other psychological problems, such as a memory decline due to dementia or Alzheimer’s, and other mental health issues can also adversely affect your puzzle-building skills.

That said, the fastest time for solving a 500 piece puzzle is 54 minutes and 10 seconds by Joellen Beifuss, 1984. So it is safe to say that you can certainly not beat that one. However, if you are really good at completing puzzles, it will take you at least that much time to complete a puzzle of this size in a single sitting.

Why Time It?

First you must remember, completing a 500 piece puzzle is not a race. Yes, you can compete with yourself to beat your best time, but there is no rush. The idea of the activity is for you to have some “me-time” and a fun hobby.

Puzzles are not only about putting the pieces together. As a true puzzle enthusiast, you are also interested in appreciating the tiniest details of the design and the artwork itself. Trying to race through a puzzle just to see how fast you can complete it will beat the purpose of studying and enjoying the process.

Take your time to find pieces and cherish every bit of achievement as you decode the puzzle maker’s masterpiece. The sense of accomplishment you get at the end of it is priceless. If you are a newbie reading this article, I can reassure you that the adrenaline you get after solving a 500 piece puzzle in your record time is unmatchable.

You will end up buying a ton of 500 jigsaw pieces just to see how good can you really get and get a buzz at the end of each successfully assembled puzzle.

So, it is a fair question to ask how long a 500 piece puzzle takes to complete, and now you know the answer. However, it really does not matter if it takes you an hour or a whole week. As far as you love the new hobby and the puzzle’s artwork, that is all you need. You are not in competition, but yes, try and see how long does it take you to complete a 500 piece puzzle today.