diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 17ab0c0..f9f07f6 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -812,6 +812,44 @@ app.get('/api/v1/waypoints', async (req, res) => {
     }
 });
 
+app.get('/api/v1/messages-per-hour', async (req, res) => {
+    try {
+        const hours = 168;
+        const now = new Date();
+        const startTime = new Date(now.getTime() - hours * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+
+        const messages = await prisma.textMessage.findMany({
+            where: { created_at: { gte: startTime } },
+            select: { packet_id: true, created_at: true },
+            distinct: ['packet_id'], // Ensures only unique packet_id entries are counted
+            orderBy: { created_at: 'asc' }
+        });
+
+        // Pre-fill `uniqueCounts` with zeros for all hours
+        const uniqueCounts = Object.fromEntries(
+            Array.from({ length: hours }, (_, i) => {
+                const hourTime = new Date(now.getTime() - (hours - i) * 60 * 60 * 1000);
+                const hourString = hourTime.toISOString().slice(0, 13); // YYYY-MM-DD HH
+                return [hourString, 0];
+            })
+        );
+
+        // Populate actual message counts
+        messages.forEach(({ created_at }) => {
+            const hourString = created_at.toISOString().slice(0, 13); // YYYY-MM-DD HH
+            uniqueCounts[hourString]++;
+        });
+
+        // Convert to final result format
+        const result = Object.entries(uniqueCounts).map(([hour, count]) => ({ hour, count }));
+
+        res.json(result);
+    } catch (error) {
+        console.error('Error fetching messages:', error);
+        res.status(500).json({ error: 'Internal Server Error' });
+    }
+});
+
 // start express server
 const listener = app.listen(port, () => {
     const port = listener.address().port;