Timestamp Converter

What is a Unix timestamp?

A Unix timestamp (also called epoch time) counts the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. It's the standard way computers store and compare points in time internally, since it's just a single number rather than a formatted date string, but that makes it unreadable to humans without converting it first.

How to use this tool

To convert a timestamp to a date, enter the Unix timestamp (in seconds) and click Convert; you'll see both your local time and UTC. To go the other way, pick a date and time and click Convert under "Date → Unix timestamp". Use Use current time to instantly grab the current timestamp.

Common use cases

• Making sense of a raw Unix timestamp found in a log file, database column, or API response.
• Generating the current timestamp to hardcode into a test fixture or API request.
• Converting a specific date and time into the Unix timestamp your code or database expects.
• Double-checking a timezone conversion by comparing local time against UTC side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Why do some systems use a 13-digit timestamp instead of 10 digits?

A 10-digit Unix timestamp counts seconds since January 1, 1970. A 13-digit timestamp counts milliseconds instead, which is what JavaScript's Date.now() returns. If your number looks three digits too long, divide it by 1000 first.

Does a Unix timestamp include timezone information?

No. A Unix timestamp is always a count of seconds since a fixed point in UTC; it has no timezone attached. The timezone only comes into play when you format that number into a human-readable date, which is why this tool shows both your local time and UTC.

What happens with dates before 1970?

They're represented as negative Unix timestamps. Most systems handle negative timestamps correctly, but a few older ones don't, so it's worth testing if you're working with historical dates.

Is there a maximum date a Unix timestamp can represent?

Systems using a signed 32-bit integer for the timestamp overflow in the year 2038 (the "Year 2038 problem"). Most modern systems now use 64-bit integers, which pushes that limit billions of years into the future.