Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix timestamps to human-readable dates and back. View results in local time, UTC, ISO 8601, and relative time formats with a live-updating current timestamp.
Supports both seconds and millisecond precision
0Timestamp to Date
Enter a Unix timestamp in seconds
Date to Timestamp
Enter a date in any standard format (e.g., "2024-01-15", "Jan 15 2024 12:30:00", ISO 8601)
How to Use This Converter
Enter a Timestamp or Date
Paste a Unix timestamp (e.g., 1700000000) or type a human-readable date (e.g., "2024-01-15 12:30:00") into the appropriate input field.
Choose Your Precision
Toggle between seconds (10-digit) and milliseconds (13-digit) mode depending on your timestamp format.
View All Formats
See the result in local time, UTC, ISO 8601, and relative time. Copy any value with one click.
How Unix Timestamps Work
Unix Time = Seconds since 1970-01-01T00:00:00ZA Unix timestamp counts the number of seconds (or milliseconds) that have passed since the Unix Epoch -- January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 UTC. It provides a universal, timezone-independent way to represent a moment in time as a single number.
Epoch: 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC = 01 hour later: 1970-01-01 01:00:00 UTC = 36001 day later: 1970-01-02 00:00:00 UTC = 86400Milliseconds: timestamp_ms = timestamp_s x 1000Common timestamp reference points:
- Epoch (0) -- January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC, the starting point
- 1 billion (1000000000) -- September 9, 2001, 01:46:40 UTC
- Y2K38 (2147483647) -- January 19, 2038, 03:14:07 UTC, the 32-bit overflow point
- 2 billion (2000000000) -- May 18, 2033, 03:33:20 UTC
Modern 64-bit systems handle timestamps well beyond the year 3000, making the 2038 problem relevant only for legacy 32-bit systems.
Quick Code Reference
| Language | Get Current Timestamp |
|---|---|
| JavaScript | Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) |
| Python | import time; int(time.time()) |
| PHP | time() |
| Java | System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000 |
| C# | DateTimeOffset.UtcNow.ToUnixTimeSeconds() |
| Ruby | Time.now.to_i |
| Go | time.Now().Unix() |
| Bash | date +%s |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called Epoch time or POSIX time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC, not counting leap seconds. It is widely used in computing to represent a specific point in time as a single integer.
What is the difference between Unix timestamp in seconds and milliseconds?
A Unix timestamp in seconds is a 10-digit number (e.g., 1700000000), while a Unix timestamp in milliseconds is a 13-digit number (e.g., 1700000000000). Milliseconds provide more precision. Languages like JavaScript use milliseconds by default (Date.now()), while languages like Python and PHP use seconds.
Will Unix timestamps run out?
The original 32-bit Unix timestamp will overflow on January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC, known as the "Year 2038 Problem." However, most modern systems now use 64-bit timestamps, which can represent dates billions of years into the future, effectively solving this problem.
How do I get the current Unix timestamp in different programming languages?
In JavaScript: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000). In Python: import time; int(time.time()). In PHP: time(). In Java: System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000. In C: time(NULL). In Bash: date +%s. Each returns the current time as a Unix timestamp in seconds.
What is Epoch time?
Epoch time refers to the starting point from which Unix timestamps are measured: January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. This moment is timestamp 0. The terms "Epoch time," "Unix time," "POSIX time," and "Unix timestamp" are often used interchangeably to refer to the number of seconds since this epoch.
About This Tool
This converter runs entirely in your browser -- no data is sent to any server. Date parsing uses your browser's built-in Date object, so local time output reflects your system's timezone settings. For mission-critical applications, always verify conversions against an authoritative time source. Unix timestamps do not account for leap seconds.