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. It is widely used in programming, databases, and APIs because it is a single number that can be easily stored, compared, and converted to any local time. For example, the timestamp 1704067200 represents January 1, 2024, 00:00:00 UTC.

What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds timestamps?

A seconds-based timestamp is typically 10 digits (e.g., 1704067200) and counts seconds since the Unix epoch. A milliseconds-based timestamp is 13 digits (e.g., 1704067200000) and counts milliseconds since the epoch, providing greater precision. JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds, while most Unix systems and APIs use seconds. This converter auto-detects the format.

What is ISO 8601 date format?

ISO 8601 is an international standard for representing dates and times. The full format is YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.sssZ, where T separates date from time and Z indicates UTC. Example: 2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z. It can also include timezone offsets like +05:30 or -04:00. ISO 8601 is unambiguous, sortable, and widely supported by programming languages and APIs.

What is the Y2K38 problem (Unix Epoch overflow)?

The Y2K38 problem occurs on January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC, when the Unix timestamp exceeds the maximum value of a signed 32-bit integer (2,147,483,647). Systems using 32-bit timestamps will overflow, potentially wrapping to negative numbers and causing dates to jump to December 13, 1901. Most modern systems now use 64-bit timestamps, which will not overflow for over 292 billion years.

How do timezones affect timestamps?

Unix timestamps are always in UTC and are not affected by timezones. A timestamp of 1704067200 represents the same instant everywhere in the world. Timezones only matter when converting a timestamp to a human-readable date and time. For example, 1704067200 is Jan 1, 2024, 00:00 UTC, but Dec 31, 2023, 19:00 in Eastern Time (UTC-5). Always store and transmit timestamps in UTC.

How do I get the current Unix timestamp?

In JavaScript: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000). In Python: import time; int(time.time()). In Bash: date +%s. In PHP: time(). In Java: System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000. In SQL: SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP() (MySQL) or SELECT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW()) (PostgreSQL). This tool also shows a live-updating current timestamp.

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Timestamp Converter

A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds since January 1, 1970 (UTC). To convert: enter seconds or milliseconds and get the human-readable date, ISO 8601, and relative time in any timezone. Timestamps are timezone-agnostic — the same number represents the same instant worldwide. Common references: 0 = epoch, 946684800 = Y2K, 2147483647 = max 32-bit (Jan 19, 2038).

Advanced timestamp converter with live current timestamp display, Unix timestamp to human-readable date conversion (and vice versa), ISO 8601 support, timezone selector, relative time display, date picker input, and common timestamp references. Supports seconds and milliseconds.

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Current Timestamp (live)

Seconds

1770778389

Milliseconds

1770778389396

ISO 8601

2026-02-11T02:53:09.396Z

Wed, Feb 11, 2026, 02:53:09 AM

Convert a Timestamp or Date

Supports seconds (10 digits), milliseconds (13 digits), or ISO 8601 strings

Timezone

Common Timestamp References

Name	Timestamp	Date (UTC)
Unix EpochThe beginning of Unix time	0	Jan 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC
Y2KStart of the year 2000	946,684,800	Jan 1, 2000 00:00:00 UTC
Unix Billennium1 billion seconds	1,000,000,000	Sep 9, 2001 01:46:40 UTC
Jan 1, 2025Start of 2025	1,735,689,600	Jan 1, 2025 00:00:00 UTC
Max 32-bit signedY2K38 problem — overflows signed 32-bit int	2,147,483,647	Jan 19, 2038 03:14:07 UTC
Max 32-bit unsignedOverflows unsigned 32-bit int	4,294,967,295	Feb 7, 2106 06:28:15 UTC

How to Use

Enter your value in the input field
Click the Calculate/Convert button
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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. It is widely used in programming, databases, and APIs because it is a single number that can be easily stored, compared, and converted to any local time. For example, the timestamp 1704067200 represents January 1, 2024, 00:00:00 UTC.
What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds timestamps?: A seconds-based timestamp is typically 10 digits (e.g., 1704067200) and counts seconds since the Unix epoch. A milliseconds-based timestamp is 13 digits (e.g., 1704067200000) and counts milliseconds since the epoch, providing greater precision. JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds, while most Unix systems and APIs use seconds. This converter auto-detects the format.
What is ISO 8601 date format?: ISO 8601 is an international standard for representing dates and times. The full format is YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.sssZ, where T separates date from time and Z indicates UTC. Example: 2025-01-15T10:30:00.000Z. It can also include timezone offsets like +05:30 or -04:00. ISO 8601 is unambiguous, sortable, and widely supported by programming languages and APIs.
What is the Y2K38 problem (Unix Epoch overflow)?: The Y2K38 problem occurs on January 19, 2038, at 03:14:07 UTC, when the Unix timestamp exceeds the maximum value of a signed 32-bit integer (2,147,483,647). Systems using 32-bit timestamps will overflow, potentially wrapping to negative numbers and causing dates to jump to December 13, 1901. Most modern systems now use 64-bit timestamps, which will not overflow for over 292 billion years.
How do timezones affect timestamps?: Unix timestamps are always in UTC and are not affected by timezones. A timestamp of 1704067200 represents the same instant everywhere in the world. Timezones only matter when converting a timestamp to a human-readable date and time. For example, 1704067200 is Jan 1, 2024, 00:00 UTC, but Dec 31, 2023, 19:00 in Eastern Time (UTC-5). Always store and transmit timestamps in UTC.
How do I get the current Unix timestamp?: In JavaScript: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000). In Python: import time; int(time.time()). In Bash: date +%s. In PHP: time(). In Java: System.currentTimeMillis() / 1000. In SQL: SELECT UNIX_TIMESTAMP() (MySQL) or SELECT EXTRACT(EPOCH FROM NOW()) (PostgreSQL). This tool also shows a live-updating current timestamp.