Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix timestamps (seconds or milliseconds) to human-readable dates and back. Shows local time, UTC, ISO 8601 and relative time.
Current Unix time
Date → Timestamp
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (epoch time) is the number of seconds elapsed since 1 January 1970 00:00:00 UTC, not counting leap seconds. It is timezone-independent, which makes it the standard way to store and exchange points in time in databases, logs and APIs. Many systems, including JavaScript, use milliseconds instead of seconds.
| Format | Digits (today) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Seconds | 10 | 1700000000 |
| Milliseconds | 13 | 1700000000000 |
This converter detects seconds vs milliseconds automatically.
Notable timestamps
0 | 1970‑01‑01 00:00:00 UTC — the Unix epoch |
1000000000 | 2001‑09‑09 01:46:40 UTC |
1700000000 | 2023‑11‑14 22:13:20 UTC |
2147483647 | 2038‑01‑19 03:14:07 UTC — the Year 2038 problem, max value of a signed 32-bit integer |
Get the current timestamp in code
| JavaScript | Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) |
| Python | int(time.time()) |
| PHP | time() |
| Bash | date +%s |
| MySQL | SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP(); |
| PostgreSQL | SELECT extract(epoch FROM now()); |
| Go | time.Now().Unix() |
| Java | Instant.now().getEpochSecond() |
Convert a timestamp to a date in the terminal: date -d @1700000000 (Linux) or date -r 1700000000 (macOS).
Frequently asked questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
The number of seconds since 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z (UTC), also called epoch or POSIX time.
Does a Unix timestamp have a timezone?
No. It always represents an instant in UTC. Timezones only matter when displaying it as a local date, which this tool shows alongside UTC.
How do I know if a timestamp is in seconds or milliseconds?
Current timestamps have 10 digits in seconds and 13 digits in milliseconds. The converter detects this automatically.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
Systems storing time as a signed 32-bit integer overflow after 2038-01-19 03:14:07 UTC (2147483647). Modern systems use 64-bit values.
Can timestamps be negative?
Yes. Negative values represent dates before 1970; for example -86400 is 1969-12-31 00:00:00 UTC.
Any server calls?
No. All conversions happen locally in your browser.