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Unix Timestamp Converter

Convert between Unix epoch timestamps and human-readable dates

Current Unix Timestamp

Convert Unix Timestamps to Dates and Back

Unix time counts seconds from midnight UTC on January 1, 1970 — a single integer that represents any moment in history or the future without ambiguity from time zones, calendars, or locale conventions. It is the lingua franca of time in computing: databases store it, APIs transmit it, and log files record it. This converter turns those integer timestamps into human-readable dates and vice versa, showing you the local time, UTC, ISO 8601, and relative offset in one glance.

Seconds versus Milliseconds

The classic Unix timestamp counts in seconds, which gives 10-digit numbers for dates between 2001 and 2286. JavaScript's Date.now(), Java's System.currentTimeMillis(), and many REST APIs use milliseconds instead — 13-digit numbers that are exactly 1,000 times larger. The converter auto-detects the unit based on the number of digits but lets you override with the radio buttons if your data uses a non-standard range. Converting between the two is just multiplication or division by 1,000.

Reading Log Files and Debugging

Server logs, error reports, and monitoring dashboards often show timestamps as raw integers. Mentally converting 1700000000 to"November 14, 2023" is not something most people can do. Paste the value here and see the date instantly, along with how long ago it was. When comparing two events, converting both timestamps reveals the gap in human terms — minutes, hours, or days — which raw numbers obscure.

Scheduling and Expiry Calculations

JWT tokens, cache headers, session cookies, and API rate-limit resets all use Unix timestamps for expiry. Converting a future timestamp tells you exactly when a token expires or a rate limit resets. Going the other direction — picking a date and getting the timestamp — is how you set those values when configuring systems manually or writing migration scripts.

Time Zones and UTC

A Unix timestamp is always UTC — it carries no timezone information. The same number 1700000000 means the same instant everywhere on Earth, but the wall-clock time differs by location. The converter shows both UTC and your browser's local time so you can see the offset. If you are debugging a system where servers and clients are in different zones, comparing UTC values eliminates timezone confusion entirely.

The Year 2038 Problem

Systems that store timestamps in a signed 32-bit integer will overflow on January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC, wrapping to a large negative number that represents a date in December 1901. This is analogous to the Y2K bug. Modern operating systems and languages have moved to 64-bit timestamps, which extend the range to hundreds of billions of years. This converter uses JavaScript's Number type (64-bit float), so it handles dates well past 2038 without issue.

Privacy

Conversions run entirely in your browser using the built-in Date object. No timestamps or dates are sent to any server, making it safe to convert values from sensitive systems like authentication tokens and internal logs.

$ faq

What is a Unix timestamp? ▸
A Unix timestamp (also called epoch time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. It is a universal way to represent a point in time as a single integer, independent of time zones and calendar formats.
What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds? ▸
Unix timestamps in seconds are 10 digits long (until November 2286). JavaScript, Java, and many APIs use milliseconds instead, which are 13 digits — simply the seconds value multiplied by 1,000. The converter auto-detects the format based on digit count but lets you override manually.
What happens at the Year 2038 problem? ▸
Systems that store Unix timestamps as a signed 32-bit integer will overflow on January 19, 2038. The maximum value is 2,147,483,647 (about 03:14:07 UTC). Modern systems use 64-bit integers, which extend the range to billions of years. This converter uses JavaScript's 64-bit floating point, so it handles dates far beyond 2038.
How do I get the current Unix timestamp in code? ▸
In JavaScript: Date.now() returns milliseconds, Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) gives seconds. In Python: import time; time.time(). In PHP: time(). In Bash: date +%s. The live counter at the top of this page shows the current value.
Why does the local time differ from UTC? ▸
UTC is the base reference time with no timezone offset. Your local time includes your timezone offset and any daylight saving adjustment. The same Unix timestamp corresponds to the same instant everywhere, but the wall-clock representation changes by location.
Can I convert negative timestamps? ▸
Yes. Negative timestamps represent dates before January 1, 1970. For example, -86400 is December 31, 1969. The converter handles negative values correctly, though some external systems may not accept them.
Is my data sent to a server? ▸
No. All conversions run in your browser using JavaScript's Date object. Nothing is transmitted or stored.