As a result, actual cremation times vary from 60 minutes to more than 5 hours. In the cremation profession, it is widely stated that it takes about 2 hours to cremate an average body of 150 pounds in a cardboard cremation container.: On the surface, this is a simple question, but answering it requires an understanding of the factors that influence cremation time. First, let's assume that by cremation time, we mean the time it takes to physically reduce the body and casket or container.