About the Unix Timestamp Converter
A Unix timestamp (also called epoch time or POSIX time) is the number of seconds that have passed since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. It is how computers, databases, APIs and log files commonly store dates, because a single number is easy to compare and independent of time zones.
The Unix Timestamp Converter shows the current timestamp live and converts in both directions. Paste a timestamp to see the date in your local time zone, in UTC, in ISO 8601 format and as a relative time like "3 days ago". It automatically detects whether the value is in seconds or milliseconds (as used by JavaScript and Java). Pick a date and time to get its timestamp for use in code, SQL queries or API requests.
Examples: reading and creating timestamps
Some timestamps to get a feel for the numbers:
0→ 1 January 1970, 00:00:00 UTC (the starting point, called the epoch)1700000000→ 14 November 2023, 22:13:20 UTC1735689600→ 1 January 2025, 00:00:00 UTC1735689600000→ the same moment in milliseconds, as JavaScript'sDate.now()returns it
A 10-digit value is in seconds and a 13-digit value is in milliseconds. The converter detects this for you.
Where timestamps cause confusion
- Time zones: a timestamp has no time zone. It is the same instant everywhere. Only the displayed date changes. A log that "looks five hours off" is usually just shown in UTC instead of local time.
- Seconds versus milliseconds: treating milliseconds as seconds gives a date tens of thousands of years in the future, a clear sign of a unit mix-up.
- Database queries: to select records from a certain day, convert the start and end of that day to timestamps and use them in a
WHEREclause.
The largest value a signed 32-bit number can hold, 2147483647, is 19 January 2038, 03:14:07 UTC. That is the "year 2038 problem" for old systems.
How to use the Unix Timestamp Converter
- See the current Unix time at the top, updating every second.
- Paste a timestamp to convert it to a readable date.
- Or pick a date and time to get its Unix timestamp.
- Copy the values you need.
Frequently asked questions
Seconds or milliseconds: how do I know?
Current timestamps in seconds have 10 digits, while milliseconds have 13 digits. The converter detects this automatically.
What is the year 2038 problem?
Systems that store Unix time as a signed 32-bit integer will overflow on January 19, 2038. Modern systems use 64-bit values to avoid this.
Does a Unix timestamp include a time zone?
No. It always represents a moment in UTC; time zones only matter when displaying it as a local date.