What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called epoch time or POSIX time) is the number of seconds that have passed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, not counting leap seconds. Computers, databases, APIs and log files store time this way because it is a single number that is the same everywhere in the world and easy to compare and sort. JavaScript and many web APIs use the same idea in milliseconds.
How to use the converter
- To read a timestamp, paste it into the first box. The tool detects whether it is in seconds (10 digits for current dates) or milliseconds (13 digits).
- See the date in your local time zone, in UTC, in ISO 8601 format and relative to now ("3 days ago").
- To create a timestamp, choose a date and time and whether it is local time or UTC.
- Click the live timestamp at the top to load the current time.
Examples
| Timestamp | Date (UTC) |
|---|---|
0 | 1 January 1970, 00:00:00 |
1000000000 | 9 September 2001, 01:46:40 |
1767225600 | 1 January 2026, 00:00:00 |
2147483647 | 19 January 2038, 03:14:07 |
The year 2038 problem
Older systems store timestamps as a signed 32-bit number, whose maximum is 2,147,483,647. That moment is reached at 03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038. After it, those systems would wrap around to 1901. Modern systems use 64-bit timestamps, which will not run out for billions of years.
Getting the current timestamp in code
| Language | Code (seconds) |
|---|---|
| JavaScript | Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) |
| Python | int(time.time()) |
| PHP | time() |
| MySQL | UNIX_TIMESTAMP() |
| Linux shell | date +%s |
Frequently asked questions
Does a Unix timestamp have a time zone?
No. It always counts from midnight UTC, so the same timestamp is the same instant everywhere. Only its display changes with the time zone.
Can timestamps be negative?
Yes. Negative values are dates before 1970.
How do I convert between time zones?
Use the Time Zone Converter.