🕒 Unix Timestamp Converter
By ToolNimba Editorial Team · Updated 2026-06-19
Enter seconds (10 digits) or milliseconds (13 digits). Milliseconds are detected automatically.
This Unix timestamp converter turns an epoch timestamp into a readable date and time, and converts a date back into a timestamp. Paste a value in seconds or milliseconds and see the UTC time, your local time, the ISO 8601 string, and how long ago or away it is. The current Unix timestamp is shown live at the top so you always have a fresh value to copy.
What is the Unix Timestamp Converter?
A Unix timestamp (also called Unix time, epoch time, or POSIX time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, a moment known as the Unix epoch. Because it is a single integer with no time zone, no month names, and no formatting, it is the most compact and unambiguous way for computers to store and compare a moment in time. A timestamp of 0 is the epoch itself, and 1718755200 is midnight UTC on 19 June 2024.
Unix time counts seconds, but many systems store milliseconds instead, which is why JavaScript's Date.now() returns a 13-digit number rather than a 10-digit one. The two are off by a factor of 1000, so feeding a milliseconds value into a tool that expects seconds lands you roughly 50,000 years in the future. This converter detects the difference automatically: a value of about 13 digits is read as milliseconds, while a 10-digit value is read as seconds.
The timestamp itself has no time zone, so the same number describes one absolute instant everywhere on Earth. What changes is how you display it. The UTC rendering is the canonical view used in logs, APIs, and databases, while the local rendering applies your device's time zone offset so the date matches the clock on your wall. When you convert a date back into a timestamp, you must decide whether the date you typed is meant in your local zone or in UTC, which is why this tool gives you a toggle for that.
When to use it
- Reading a log line or database row that stores times as raw epoch integers.
- Debugging an API that returns created_at or expires_at as a Unix timestamp.
- Setting a precise expiry time for a token, cookie, or cache entry as a timestamp.
- Checking whether a 10-digit or 13-digit value is in seconds or milliseconds before using it.
How to use the Unix Timestamp Converter
- To read a timestamp, paste it into the "Timestamp to date" box. Seconds and milliseconds are detected automatically.
- Compare the UTC time (the canonical value) with your local time, and copy the ISO 8601 string if you need it.
- To build a timestamp, pick a date and time in the "Date to timestamp" field.
- Tick "Treat input as UTC" if the date you entered is meant in UTC rather than your local zone.
- Copy the current Unix timestamp from the top of the page whenever you need a fresh value.
Formula & method
Worked examples
Convert the timestamp 1718755200 (in seconds) to a date.
- The value has 10 digits, so it is read as seconds.
- 1718755200 seconds ÷ 86400 seconds per day = 19893 whole days after the epoch.
- 19893 days after 1 January 1970 UTC lands on 19 June 2024.
- There is no leftover, so the time of day is 00:00:00.
Result: Tue, 19 Jun 2024, 00:00:00 UTC (ISO 8601: 2024-06-19T00:00:00.000Z)
Convert a 13-digit value, 1700000000000, that arrived from JavaScript.
- The value has 13 digits, so it is milliseconds, not seconds.
- Divide by 1000 to get 1700000000 seconds.
- 1700000000 seconds after the epoch is 14 November 2023, 22:13:20 UTC.
Result: Tue, 14 Nov 2023, 22:13:20 UTC (1700000000 in seconds)
Reference Unix timestamps (seconds since the epoch, in UTC)
| Timestamp (seconds) | UTC date and time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1970-01-01 00:00:00 | The Unix epoch |
| 1000000000 | 2001-09-09 01:46:40 | The 1-billion-second mark |
| 1500000000 | 2017-07-14 02:40:00 | A common test value |
| 1700000000 | 2023-11-14 22:13:20 | The 1.7-billion-second mark |
| 2147483647 | 2038-01-19 03:14:07 | The 32-bit signed limit (Year 2038) |
Seconds vs milliseconds at a glance
| Digits | Unit | Example | Maps to roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Seconds | 1718755200 | A date in the 2000s to 2030s |
| 13 | Milliseconds | 1718755200000 | The same date, in milliseconds |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Mixing up seconds and milliseconds. A 13-digit value is milliseconds and a 10-digit value is seconds. Passing milliseconds to code that expects seconds throws the date about 50,000 years into the future. Divide by 1000 to convert milliseconds to seconds.
- Assuming the timestamp carries a time zone. A Unix timestamp is a single instant with no zone attached. Two people in different zones see the same number for the same moment; only the displayed date differs once a zone offset is applied.
- Ignoring the Year 2038 limit. Systems that store the timestamp in a signed 32-bit integer overflow at 2147483647 (19 January 2038). Modern systems use 64-bit timestamps, but legacy code may still wrap around to a negative date.
- Forgetting whether your input date is local or UTC. When converting a date back to a timestamp, the same calendar date produces different timestamps depending on whether it is read as local time or UTC. Decide which you mean before trusting the number.
Glossary
- Unix epoch
- The reference point for Unix time: 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970. A timestamp of 0 is this exact moment.
- Unix timestamp
- The number of seconds (sometimes milliseconds) elapsed since the Unix epoch, used to store a moment as a single integer.
- UTC
- Coordinated Universal Time, the global time standard with no daylight saving. It is the canonical zone for displaying a timestamp.
- ISO 8601
- An international standard for writing dates and times, such as 2024-06-19T00:00:00.000Z, where the trailing Z means UTC.
- Year 2038 problem
- The point (03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038) at which a signed 32-bit Unix timestamp overflows and can no longer count forward.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds that have passed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, called the Unix epoch. It stores a single moment in time as one integer, with no time zone or formatting attached.
How do I convert a Unix timestamp to a date?
Paste the timestamp into the converter above. It instantly shows the UTC time, your local time, and the ISO 8601 string. Behind the scenes it adds the timestamp (in seconds) to the epoch and renders the result.
Is the timestamp in seconds or milliseconds?
A 10-digit timestamp is in seconds and a 13-digit one is in milliseconds. This tool detects the difference automatically, but if you do it by hand, divide a milliseconds value by 1000 to get seconds.
How do I convert a date to a Unix timestamp?
Use the "Date to timestamp" field, pick your date and time, and read the timestamp in seconds and milliseconds. Tick "Treat input as UTC" if the date you entered is meant in UTC rather than your local zone.
What is the current Unix timestamp?
The current Unix timestamp updates live at the top of this page every second. Click Copy to grab the exact value for the moment you need it.
What is the Year 2038 problem?
Systems that store Unix time in a signed 32-bit integer can only count up to 2147483647 seconds, which is 03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038. Past that point the value overflows. 64-bit timestamps avoid the issue.