Unix Timestamp Converter

What this Unix timestamp converter does

This converter translates Unix time (also called epoch time or POSIX time) into a human-readable date, and turns a date and time back into a Unix timestamp. When you convert a timestamp, you see the result in your local time zone and in UTC, side by side. It also recognises timestamps in milliseconds automatically.

It is for developers reading logs and databases, data analysts working with exported data, DevOps engineers investigating incidents, and anyone who has met a number like 1700000000 and wanted to know what moment it represents.

How to use the converter

Unix timestamp to date

1. Enter the number in the Unix timestamp field, for example 1700000000.
2. Click To date.
3. Read the two results: Local (in your browser's time zone) and UTC (in ISO 8601 format).

Date to Unix timestamp

1. Pick a date and time in the Date and time field.
2. Click To Unix time.
3. Copy the timestamp in seconds with the Copy button.

The date you pick is interpreted in your browser's time zone. If you need the timestamp for a moment in UTC or another zone, adjust the time accordingly or check the result with "To date".

What Unix time is

Unix time counts the seconds that have passed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, known as the Unix epoch. It ignores leap seconds, so every day counts as exactly 86,400 seconds. Because it is a single number that is the same everywhere in the world, it is a convenient way for computers to store and compare moments in time. Time zones only come into play when the number is shown to a person.

Examples

• 0 → 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000Z (the epoch itself).
• 1700000000 → 2023-11-14T22:13:20.000Z.
• 1767225600 → 2026-01-01T00:00:00.000Z.
• 1700000000000 (13 digits) → treated as milliseconds, giving the same moment as 1700000000.

The "Local" line shows the same moment in your own time zone, formatted according to your browser's language settings. The UTC line always ends with Z, which means UTC (zero offset).

Seconds or milliseconds?

Many systems, such as Unix shells, PHP and most databases, use seconds. JavaScript's Date.now(), Java's System.currentTimeMillis() and many APIs use milliseconds. A current timestamp in seconds has 10 digits; in milliseconds it has 13. This converter treats very large numbers as milliseconds automatically, so you can paste either kind. The "To Unix time" result is always given in seconds.

Common use cases

• Reading timestamps in server logs, database rows and analytics exports.
• Checking the exp and iat claims of a JWT.
• Creating a timestamp for an API request, a cache expiry or a test fixture.
• Working out when an event happened in your own time zone during an incident review.
• Debugging time-zone bugs by comparing the local and UTC versions of the same moment.

Tips and common mistakes

• Dates in 1970? If a recent event shows up as January 1970, a millisecond value was probably read as seconds somewhere, or the field was empty or zero.
• Dates far in the future? The opposite mistake: seconds were treated as milliseconds, or a number with extra digits was pasted.
• Store UTC, display local. Unix timestamps are always UTC-based. Convert to local time only when showing dates to people.
• Daylight saving time. Local times can jump forward or back by an hour in many regions. Unix time does not, which is one reason it is used for storage.
• The year 2038 problem. Systems that store Unix time as a signed 32-bit integer overflow after 2147483647, which is 2038-01-19T03:14:07Z. Modern systems use 64-bit values, but older software and embedded devices may still be affected.
• Negative timestamps represent dates before 1970.

Frequently asked questions

What is epoch time?

Epoch time is another name for Unix time: the number of seconds since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970.

Is a Unix timestamp the same in every time zone?

Yes. It represents a single moment, independent of time zone. Only the way it is displayed changes.

How do I know if a timestamp is in seconds or milliseconds?

For present-day dates, 10 digits usually means seconds and 13 digits means milliseconds. This tool detects milliseconds automatically.

Does Unix time include leap seconds?

No. Unix time treats every day as 86,400 seconds and does not count leap seconds.

Why is the local time different from the UTC time?

Local time adds your time zone's offset (and daylight saving time, if it applies) to UTC. Both lines describe the same moment.

How do I get the current Unix timestamp?

Pick the current date and time and click "To Unix time". On the command line, date +%s prints it on Linux and macOS.

Related tools

• Date Calculator – count days between two dates.
• JWT Decoder – read token claims that use Unix time.
• Cron Expression Explainer – understand when scheduled jobs run.
• JSON Formatter – read API responses that contain timestamps.