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Unix Timestamp Converter

Convert Unix epoch time (seconds/milliseconds/microseconds) to a human-readable date — and back — instantly, in both directions. Choose UTC, your local timezone, or a fixed UTC± offset; watch a live "now" counter, add or subtract relative time, and convert dozens of lines in bulk — all in your browser, with no data sent to a server.

Current epoch: … Epoch 0 = Jan 1, 1970 00:00 UTC sec · ms · µs · ns supported Updated: Jul 19, 2026
 
Quick examples:
 
Quick examples:
Live — right now
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milliseconds: …
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The "Calculate" button freezes the current value into a snapshot below, so you can copy or share it.
Calculate from right nowTurn this off to enter a starting epoch below
Quick examples:
In Epoch→Date mode, put one epoch number per line; in Date→Epoch mode, write a date like "2026-07-19 14:30:00" or "07/19/2026 14:30".
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Shows this exact instant in major cities worldwide, using each city's real IANA timezone (daylight saving handled automatically).
Quick examples:
Once calculated, the time remaining (or elapsed) ticks live below, every second.
⚙️ Advanced settings — output format, 12-hour time
12-hour timeShow AM/PM (default is 24-hour)
Quick answer A Unix timestamp converter instantly turns an epoch value (the number of seconds/milliseconds since January 1, 1970) into a human-readable date, and back again. This tool auto-detects seconds, millisecond, microsecond, and nanosecond precision; supports UTC, local, or a fixed UTC± timezone; and provides ISO-8601 and RFC 2822 output, a live "now" counter, relative date math, and bulk (multi-line) conversion.
0Unix Epoch start (Jan 1, 1970)
2147483647Y2038 problem (32-bit limit)
1970–9999+Supported year range
s · ms · µs · nsSupported precisions
⚙️ Accuracy note: Calculations use the browser's JavaScript Date object and integer arithmetic; no data is sent to a server. "Local" uses your system timezone (including daylight saving, where applicable). "Custom UTC±" applies a fixed offset instead of the IANA timezone database, so it isn't affected by yearly daylight-saving changes. Microsecond/nanosecond values are computed for sub-millisecond display purposes only.
⏱️ Unix Timestamp Converter — ToolPico ↗

What is a Unix timestamp, and how do you convert one?

A complete guide to epoch time: what it is, seconds vs. milliseconds, how timezones affect the display, and the ISO-8601/RFC 2822 formats.

A Unix timestamp — also called epoch time — is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. Because it's a single integer independent of timezone, leap years, and month-length quirks, it's the universal way of passing time between operating systems, databases, and web APIs. This tool recognizes epoch values in seconds, milliseconds (the JavaScript default), and microsecond/nanosecond precision, and converts them to a readable date — and back.

What's the difference between epoch seconds and milliseconds?

Quick answerSecond-based epoch (10 digits, e.g. 1752000000) is the classic Unix unit. Millisecond-based epoch (13 digits) is 1,000 times the second value and is the default for JavaScript's Date.now(). This tool automatically detects the unit from the digit count, and also supports 16-digit microseconds and 19-digit nanoseconds.

How does timezone affect a Unix timestamp?

Quick answerThe epoch itself carries no timezone — it's always a fixed number relative to UTC. What changes is which timezone the number is displayed in: "Local" uses your browser's system timezone, "UTC" uses Coordinated Universal Time, and "Custom UTC±" uses the fixed offset you choose (e.g. UTC+03:00). The same epoch shows a different clock time in each case, but it always represents the exact same instant.

What are the ISO-8601 and RFC 2822 formats?

ISO-8601 (e.g. 2026-07-19T14:30:00-04:00) is the machine-parseable, sortable international standard, and the most common format in APIs and databases. RFC 2822 (e.g. Sun, 19 Jul 2026 14:30:00 -0400) is an older, human-readable standard used in email and HTTP headers. This tool generates both automatically in the result card.

Why use epoch time instead of a date string?

Because it's a single integer, an epoch value is extremely fast to compare, sort, and subtract — comparing two dates is just subtracting two numbers. It also carries no localization ambiguity: "07/19/2026" is read differently depending on the country's day/month order, while an epoch value always represents one exact, unambiguous instant.

Common Unix timestamp conversions (example values)

Frequently referenced epoch values and their UTC date-time. Use the calculator above for exact conversions in your own timezone.

Example epoch values (UTC)
Epoch (seconds)Date-time (UTC)

Popular conversions

Related mini tools: code snippets, date ranges, snowflake decoder & more

Six extra calculations developers reach for often — all instant, all in your browser.

💻Code snippet generator
Generates JS, Python, PHP, SQL, and Sheets code to read/parse the epoch value you enter.
⏳Duration between two epochs
Calculates the difference between two Unix timestamps in days/hours/minutes.
📅Day of the year?
Shows which day of the year a date falls on, its ISO week, and days remaining.
🗓️Date range epoch
Generates the start and end epoch of a day, month, or year — for SQL BETWEEN and log filtering.
❄️Snowflake ID decoder
Extracts the creation date-time embedded in a Discord or Twitter/X snowflake ID.
🆔UUIDv7 / ULID timestamp extractor
Pulls the embedded creation timestamp out of a time-sortable UUIDv7 or ULID identifier.

Reference tables & practical info

Citable, evergreen tables: epoch milestones, fixed UTC offsets, month/leap-year rules, and getting the epoch in code.

Mathematically/historically notable epoch values (UTC)
DescriptionEpoch (seconds)Date (UTC)
Unix Epoch start0Jan 1, 1970, 00:00:00
One billion seconds1000000000Sep 9, 2001, 01:46:40
32-bit signed limit (Y2038)2147483647Jan 19, 2038, 03:14:07
Pre-epoch (negative) example-1Dec 31, 1969, 23:59:59

These are mathematical constants that never change from year to year; verify them instantly with the calculator above.

Commonly used fixed UTC± offsets (no daylight saving, fixed reference)
OffsetTypical region (example)
UTC−08:00US Pacific (PST, no DST)
UTC−07:00US Mountain (MST, no DST)
UTC−06:00US Central (CST, no DST)
UTC−05:00US Eastern (EST, no DST)
UTC+00:00London / Greenwich
UTC+05:30India (half-hour offset example)
UTC+09:00Japan / Korea

This tool uses fixed offsets rather than the named (IANA) timezone database; region names are directional references only — choose "Local" for automatic daylight-saving handling.

Days per month and the leap-year rule
MonthDays

Leap-year rule: years divisible by 4 are leap years, except years divisible by 100 — unless they're also divisible by 400 (e.g. 2000 is a leap year, 1900 is not, 2024 is).

Getting the "current epoch" in various programming languages
LanguageCode
JavaScriptMath.floor(Date.now()/1000)
Pythonint(time.time())
PHPtime()
MySQLUNIX_TIMESTAMP()
Bash/Linuxdate +%s
JavaSystem.currentTimeMillis()/1000

The "Code snippet generator" mini tool above also shows how to parse a specific epoch value in each of these languages.

Add this converter to your site (embed code)

Embed the Unix timestamp converter on your own website for free. Copy the code below into your HTML — the tool runs in a simplified view and links back to this page as its source.

The embedded tool has a fixed layout; you can adjust the height value to fit your site. No ads or personal data, runs entirely client-side.

Unix timestamp terms glossary

Short definitions of the core concepts used in epoch and timezone conversions.

Unix EpochJanuary 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC — the starting point for timestamps.
TimestampAn integer representing seconds/milliseconds elapsed since the epoch.
UTCCoordinated Universal Time — a universal time standard with no daylight saving.
ISO-8601A standard that writes date-time as YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS±HH:MM.
RFC 2822A human-readable date-time format used in email and HTTP headers.
Y2038 problemThe overflow of a 32-bit epoch value into a negative number in 2038.
ISO week numberA Monday-based standard that numbers weeks of the year 1–53.
Day of yearA date's sequence number within the year, counted from January 1 (1–366).
UTC± offsetHow many hours/minutes a timezone is ahead of or behind UTC.
ms / µs / nsSub-second units: thousandths, millionths, and billionths of a second.

In-depth guides

Detailed answers to the most common questions about Unix time.

What is the Year 2038 problem (Y2038), and why does it matter?

Older 32-bit systems store the epoch as a signed 32-bit integer, with a maximum value of 2,147,483,647 (January 19, 2038, 03:14:07 UTC). One second later, the number overflows, flips to negative, and the date incorrectly wraps back to 1901 — this is the Y2038 problem. Modern 64-bit systems won't hit this limit for roughly 292 billion years, so they're unaffected; the real risk lies in embedded systems and legacy 32-bit database columns.

Why does Unix time start on January 1, 1970?

While Unix was being developed at Bell Labs around 1969–1970, engineers needed a starting point for storing time, and they picked a practical, round date close to that period: January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. It has no special significance — just a convenient reference point. Over time this date became known as the "Unix Epoch" and an official part of the POSIX standard, turning into a universal, OS-independent convention.

How do you get a Unix timestamp in code? (JS vs. Python vs. PHP)

In JavaScript, Date.now() returns milliseconds (divide by 1000 for seconds). In Python, time.time() returns a decimal number of seconds (including microseconds). In PHP, time() returns seconds directly. Going the other way: JS uses new Date(epochMs), Python uses datetime.fromtimestamp(epoch), and PHP uses date('Y-m-d H:i:s', $epoch) — the "Code snippet generator" mini tool above fills these in automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Unix timestamp (epoch)?
A Unix timestamp (unix timestamp / epoch) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. Because it's a single number independent of timezone and calendar quirks, it's used universally across operating systems, databases, and APIs.
How do I convert epoch time?
Paste the epoch value into the "Epoch → Date" tab; the tool automatically detects whether it's seconds or milliseconds based on digit count, and converts it to a date-time in your chosen timezone, plus ISO-8601 and RFC 2822 formats. To go the other way, use the "Date → Epoch" tab.
What's the current Unix timestamp, and how do I find it?
The "Now" tab shows the current epoch value read from your browser's system clock, updated live (every second) in both seconds and milliseconds, with one-click copy. Nothing is sent to a server.
What's the difference between millisecond and second epoch values?
Second-based epoch (10 digits) is the classic Unix unit. Millisecond-based epoch (13 digits) is 1,000 times the second value and is the default for Date.now(). This tool also automatically recognizes 16-digit microseconds and 19-digit nanoseconds.
How does UTC epoch conversion work?
The epoch is already a fixed number relative to UTC; only the display timezone changes. Choosing "UTC" shows Coordinated Universal Time; "Local" shows your browser's system timezone; "Custom" shows the fixed UTC± offset you choose.
How do I convert a large batch of timestamps at once?
On the "Bulk" tab, paste your list with one value per line, pick the direction and timezone, then hit "Calculate." The tool converts every line and adds a separate "Copy" button next to each result.
Why does Unix time start on January 1, 1970?
January 1, 1970 was a practical starting point chosen during Unix's early development; it has no special meaning. Known as the "Unix Epoch," it forms the basis of the POSIX standard; dates before it are expressed as negative numbers.
What is the Year 2038 problem (Y2038)?
Older 32-bit systems storing the epoch as a signed int32 overflow after January 19, 2038, 03:14:07 UTC (epoch 2147483647), wrapping the date back to 1901. 64-bit systems are unaffected. You can see this value in the reference table above.
How do I find the start and end epoch of a day, month, or year?
Use the Date range epoch mini tool in the "Mini tools" section: enter a date and choose a scope (day / month / year); the tool generates the start (00:00:00) and end (23:59:59) epoch values in both seconds and milliseconds. These are ideal for SQL queries like WHERE ts BETWEEN day_start AND day_end and for filtering logs by a specific period. Choose Local time or UTC.
How do I extract a date from a Discord or Twitter/X snowflake ID?
Snowflake IDs embed their creation time, left-shifted 22 bits, on top of a platform-specific fixed epoch (Discord: 1420070400000, Twitter/X: 1288834974657). The Snowflake ID decoder mini tool in the "Mini tools" section extracts that embedded timestamp — via bit-shifting and BigInt arithmetic — into a creation date-time when you paste the ID and pick the platform. It runs entirely in your browser.
How do I see what time an epoch value is in other cities around the world?
Open the World Clock tab, enter an epoch value (or use the "Now" preset), and the tool shows that exact instant converted into major world cities — Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Dubai, Mumbai, Tokyo, Sydney, and more — using each city's real IANA timezone via Intl.DateTimeFormat, so daylight saving is applied correctly for that date.
Can I count down to a specific Unix timestamp?
Yes — the Countdown tab lets you enter a target epoch (or pick a date/time), then shows a live, second-by-second ticking days/hours/minutes/seconds countdown. If the target timestamp is already in the past, it automatically switches to showing the elapsed time instead.

Methodology & sources

ToolPico's Unix Timestamp Converter is a free, independent conversion tool. The calculation engine runs entirely in your browser; conversions use JavaScript's Date object and integer/BigInt arithmetic. "Local" uses your browser's system clock; "UTC" and "Custom UTC±" use fixed offsets not tied to the IANA timezone database — they're unaffected by yearly daylight-saving rule changes and stay evergreen.

Sources: POSIX / Unix time definition (IEEE Std 1003.1) · ISO-8601 · RFC 5322 (email date format) · ISO-8601 week-numbering rule. Last updated: July 19, 2026. Results are for informational and developer purposes only.

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