Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates. Supports seconds and milliseconds.
Current Unix Timestamp (live)
0
Timestamp → Date
10-digit = seconds, 13-digit = milliseconds
Date → Timestamp
Notable Unix Timestamps
What Is the Unix Timestamp Converter?
The Unix timestamp counts seconds elapsed since 1 January 1970, 00:00:00 UTC, the "Unix Epoch." It is timezone-independent: the same integer represents the same instant everywhere on Earth. This makes it ideal for logging, databases, and API payloads where timezone ambiguity must be avoided.
Millisecond timestamps (13-digit) are a JavaScript convention popularised by Date.now() and are now ubiquitous in web applications. Most databases store seconds; most browsers and Node.js APIs return milliseconds. This converter auto-detects which format you have based on digit count.
Live timestamp data powered by your browser's real-time clock, always current.
The Year 2038 Problem
Formula
Notable Unix Timestamps & Date Format Reference
| Timestamp | Date (UTC) | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 | Unix Epoch, the origin |
| 86 400 | 2 Jan 1970 00:00:00 | Exactly 1 day = 86,400 s |
| 1 000 000 000 | 9 Sep 2001 01:46:40 | 1 billion seconds milestone |
| 1 234 567 890 | 13 Feb 2009 23:31:30 | Celebrated by developers worldwide |
| 1 500 000 000 | 14 Jul 2017 02:40:00 | 1.5 billion milestone |
| 2 000 000 000 | 18 May 2033 03:33:20 | 2 billion (upcoming) |
| 2 147 483 647 | 19 Jan 2038 03:14:07 | Year 2038 problem, max 32-bit int |
| 4 294 967 295 | 7 Feb 2106 06:28:15 | Max unsigned 32-bit timestamp |
How to Use
- 1The live clock at the top shows the current Unix timestamp updating every second in real time.
- 2To convert a timestamp to a date: paste any 10-digit (seconds) or 13-digit (milliseconds) Unix timestamp into the Timestamp → Date field and click Convert.
- 3To convert a date to a timestamp: use the datetime-local picker in the Date → Timestamp panel and click Convert.
- 4Select a display timezone from the dropdown to see the result in your local time zone alongside UTC.
- 5Click any format row's copy button to copy that specific representation to your clipboard.
- 6Click "Use Current Time" to populate both fields with the current moment and convert instantly.
- 7Click any notable timestamp in the reference panel to load and convert it immediately.
Example Calculation
Example: Decode timestamp 1 700 000 000
Understanding Unix Timestamp Converter
Unix timestamps have become the de-facto standard for storing and exchanging time data in software systems worldwide. Every major database (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, MongoDB), every cloud provider (AWS, GCP, Azure), and virtually every programming language runtime natively understands Unix time. Using timestamps avoids the fragility of string-based date formats and eliminates timezone ambiguity entirely.
The live clock displayed above uses your browser's Date.now() API, this is real-time data from your device's system clock, updated every second. No external API call is made; the timestamp is always accurate to within one second of true UTC.
When building distributed systems, always store timestamps in UTC and convert to local timezone only at the display layer. Storing local times (e.g. "2024-03-15 14:30:00 EST") causes subtle bugs when users cross timezones, during daylight saving transitions, or when server infrastructure moves regions. A Unix timestamp sidesteps all of these issues.
For high-precision applications (profiling, network packets, financial transactions), note that JavaScript's Date.now() provides millisecond resolution but operating system schedulers typically have ≥1 ms granularity. For nanosecond-resolution timing, use performance.now() in browsers or clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME)in POSIX systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Unix epoch and why does it start on January 1, 1970?
The epoch date was chosen by Bell Labs engineers developing Unix in the early 1970s:
- ›It was a recent, round date that maximized the range of a 32-bit signed counter.
- ›A 32-bit signed timestamp from 1970 reaches January 2038, about 68 years of range.
- ›No astronomical or mathematical significance, purely a practical engineering choice.
- ›64-bit timestamps from the same epoch last until year 292 billion.
How do I get the current Unix timestamp in different programming languages?
- ›Python: int(time.time()), seconds; time.time_ns() // 1_000_000_000 for nanoseconds.
- ›JavaScript/Node.js: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000), ms to seconds.
- ›Java: Instant.now().getEpochSecond(), uses java.time API.
- ›Go: time.Now().Unix(), seconds; time.Now().UnixMilli() for milliseconds.
- ›Bash/shell: date +%s
- ›PostgreSQL: EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW())::bigint
What is the difference between Unix timestamp in seconds vs milliseconds?
- ›Seconds (10 digits, e.g. 1700000000): used by POSIX, Linux, Python time.time(), most databases.
- ›Milliseconds (13 digits, e.g. 1700000000000): used by JavaScript Date.now(), Java, many REST APIs.
- ›Microseconds (16 digits) and nanoseconds (19 digits) exist for high-precision logging.
- ›Auto-detection rule: ≥13 digits → milliseconds; ≤10 digits → seconds.
Why does the same Unix timestamp show different clock times in different timezones?
Unix timestamps are always UTC internally, timezone is only a display concern:
- ›UTC+0 (London winter): 1700000000 → 2023-11-14 22:13:20
- ›UTC+5:30 (Mumbai): same timestamp → 2023-11-15 03:43:20
- ›UTC+9 (Tokyo): same timestamp → 2023-11-15 07:13:20
- ›Store timestamps in UTC; convert to local timezone only for display.
What is the Year 2038 problem and does it affect modern systems?
- ›Overflow date: 19 January 2038 at 03:14:07 UTC (2,147,483,647 + 1 second).
- ›Effect: wraps to large negative number → interpreted as 13 December 1901.
- ›Affected: 32-bit Linux kernels, old embedded firmware, some legacy databases.
- ›Not affected: 64-bit systems (timestamp lasts until year ~292 billion).
- ›Python 3, Java, .NET, and modern databases already use 64-bit timestamps.