🕐 Timestamp Converter
Convert a Unix timestamp into a readable date, or a date back into a timestamp. The unit is detected automatically, so it does not matter whether your value is in seconds, milliseconds, microseconds or nanoseconds.
What a Unix timestamp is
A count of seconds since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, called the Unix epoch. It is a single integer with no timezone, no daylight saving and no calendar rules attached, which is why almost every system stores time this way and formats it only when a human needs to read it.
This tool converts in both directions: paste a timestamp to get a date, or pick a date to get a timestamp.
Seconds or milliseconds?
The most common mistake in timestamp handling. Unix time is seconds, but JavaScript, Java and many APIs use milliseconds, and the two look alike until you notice the length:
| Digits | Unit | Example era |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Seconds | 2001 to 2286 |
| 13 | Milliseconds | 2001 to 2286 |
| 16 | Microseconds | Postgres, some tracing tools |
Why timestamps have no timezone
A timestamp is an instant, not a wall-clock reading. The same integer is the same moment everywhere; only its rendering differs. That is the whole point, and it is why storing timestamps rather than formatted strings avoids an entire category of bug.
It also means a converted date is only meaningful once you know which zone it was rendered in. When comparing a converted value against a log, confirm whether the log is in UTC or local time before concluding anything.
Dates worth recognising
- 0 — 1 January 1970 UTC. Seeing this usually means a missing or unset value rather than a real date.
- 1000000000 — 9 September 2001.
- 2147483647 — 19 January 2038, the largest value a signed 32-bit integer holds. Systems still using 32-bit time wrap here, which is the Year 2038 problem.
- Negative values are valid and mean dates before 1970, though plenty of software rejects them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell seconds from milliseconds?
Count the digits. A current timestamp in seconds has 10; in milliseconds it has 13. If your converted date lands in 1970, you had milliseconds and need to divide by 1000.
Does a Unix timestamp include a timezone?
No. It is a count of seconds since a fixed instant in UTC. Timezones apply only when the number is formatted for a human to read.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
A signed 32-bit integer runs out at 2147483647 seconds, which is 19 January 2038. Systems still storing time that way will overflow into negative numbers. Anything using 64-bit time is unaffected.
Why does my timestamp show 1 January 1970?
The value is zero, empty, or a millisecond value being read as seconds. In practice it most often means a field was never set.
Do timestamps account for leap seconds?
No. Unix time deliberately pretends every day has exactly 86,400 seconds, which keeps the arithmetic simple at the cost of being a second or so away from astronomical time.