Epoch Converter
Convert Unix timestamps to human-readable dates online with live clock and timezone support
How to use Epoch Converter
Enter a timestamp or date
Paste a Unix timestamp (seconds or milliseconds) to convert to a date, or enter a human-readable date to convert to a timestamp.
Select your timezone
Choose a timezone to display or input local times. The UTC value is always shown for reference.
Copy the result
Click Copy next to the value you need — timestamp, ISO 8601, or local date string.
Current Unix Timestamp
Unix Timestamp → Date
Enter a Unix timestamp above to see conversions.
Date → Unix Timestamp
What is a Unix timestamp (epoch)?
A Unix timestamp (also called an epoch timestamp) is the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC. It is the standard way computers store and transmit date/time values in APIs, databases, log files, and programming languages, because it is timezone-independent and can be compared with simple integer arithmetic.
This converter translates between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates in any timezone. It also shows a live current timestamp and supports millisecond precision for APIs that use milliseconds instead of seconds.
Developers encounter Unix timestamps constantly. API responses from services like Stripe, GitHub, and AWS include timestamps as integers. Database columns in PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB store dates as epoch values. Log files from web servers, application frameworks, and system daemons record events with timestamps. JWT tokens encode their expiration (exp) and issued-at (iat) claims as Unix timestamps. When debugging a production issue at 3 AM, quickly converting 1711036800 to 'March 22, 2024 00:00:00 UTC' saves precious minutes. This tool also displays the current Unix timestamp in real time, which is useful when testing time-sensitive API calls or setting expiration values.
Time zones are the most common source of timestamp bugs. A Unix timestamp is always in UTC by definition — it represents an absolute moment in time. When you convert a timestamp to a human-readable date, the result depends on which timezone you display it in. A timestamp of 1711036800 is March 22, 2024 00:00:00 UTC, but March 21, 2024 19:00:00 in EST (UTC-5). This tool lets you select any IANA timezone to see the local representation, and always shows the UTC reference alongside it. JavaScript's Date object uses milliseconds (Date.now() returns 13 digits), while most server-side languages and Unix system calls use seconds (10 digits). The tool auto-detects which format you have entered based on digit count.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Unix epoch?
The Unix epoch is January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC. All Unix timestamps are the count of seconds (or milliseconds) since this moment, regardless of timezone.
Does my timestamp use seconds or milliseconds?
Timestamps with 10 digits typically represent seconds (e.g., 1700000000). Timestamps with 13 digits typically represent milliseconds (e.g., 1700000000000). JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds; most Unix system calls return seconds.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
32-bit signed integers can store timestamps up to 2,147,483,647 — which corresponds to January 19, 2038. Systems using 32-bit timestamps will overflow at that point. Modern 64-bit systems are not affected.
What is ISO 8601?
ISO 8601 is the international standard for date/time representation: 2024-01-15T14:30:00Z. The T separates date and time; Z means UTC. It is the recommended format for APIs and data interchange.
How do I convert a JavaScript Date to a Unix timestamp?
In JavaScript, Date.now() returns the current time as a Unix timestamp in milliseconds. To get seconds, divide by 1000: Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000). To convert a specific date, use new Date('2024-03-22').getTime() for milliseconds. Paste the result into this tool to verify the conversion and see the human-readable representation in any timezone.
Why does my timestamp show the wrong date in different programming languages?
Most likely a seconds vs. milliseconds mismatch. JavaScript, Java, and Dart use milliseconds (13 digits). Python, Ruby, PHP, Go, and most Unix tools use seconds (10 digits). If you pass a seconds-based timestamp to a function expecting milliseconds (or vice versa), the resulting date will be off by a factor of 1000 — showing a date in 1970 or in the year 55000. Check the digit count: 10 digits = seconds, 13 digits = milliseconds.
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