Timestamp Converter
Convert Unix timestamps (seconds or milliseconds) to human-readable dates and vice versa. Supports multiple timezones, ISO 8601, RFC 2822, and more formats.
Unix timestamps represent the number of seconds (or milliseconds) since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC (the Unix epoch). This tool converts between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates in various formats.
Table of Contents
What is a Unix Timestamp?
A Unix timestamp (also called Epoch time or POSIX time) is a way to represent a specific point in time as a single number. It counts the number of seconds (or milliseconds) that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time), known as the Unix epoch.
Unix timestamps are commonly used in programming because they're:
- Simple: Just a single number, easy to store and compare
- Universal: Not affected by timezones or date formats
- Precise: Can represent exact moments down to the second or millisecond
- Efficient: Easy to perform arithmetic operations (add/subtract time)
For example, the Unix timestamp 1609459200 (seconds)
represents January 1, 2021, 00:00:00 UTC.
How it Works
This timestamp converter provides bidirectional conversion between Unix timestamps and human-readable dates:
- Unix → Human: Enter a Unix timestamp (in seconds or milliseconds), and the tool will convert it to various human-readable formats
- Human → Unix: Enter a date in various formats, and the tool will convert it to Unix timestamps
All conversions respect the selected timezone, allowing you to see timestamps in your preferred timezone. The tool automatically detects whether you've entered a timestamp in seconds (10 digits) or milliseconds (13 digits).
All processing happens locally in your browser. Your timestamps are never sent to any server, ensuring privacy and security.
Date Formats
This tool supports multiple date and time formats for input and provides outputs in several standard formats:
Unix Timestamp (seconds)
10-digit number representing seconds since the Unix epoch. Example: 1609459200
Unix Timestamp (milliseconds)
13-digit number representing milliseconds since the Unix epoch. Example: 1609459200000
ISO 8601
International standard format: 2024-01-01T12:00:00+00:00. Widely used in APIs and databases.
RFC 2822
Email and HTTP header format: Mon, 01 Jan 2024 12:00:00 +0000
Human Readable
Natural language format: January 1, 2024, 12:00:00 PM
Timezone Support
This tool supports conversion across over 100 timezones from around the world. You can select from timezones including:
- UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
- North America: US timezones (Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii), Canadian timezones, and Mexican timezones
- Central & South America: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and more
- Europe: London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Moscow, and 20+ other European cities
- Middle East: Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, and more
- Asia: Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mumbai, Seoul, Bangkok, and 20+ other Asian cities
- Africa: Cairo, Johannesburg, Lagos, Nairobi, and more
- Australia & Pacific: Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Fiji, and more
Search Functionality: Use the searchable timezone selector to quickly find your timezone. Simply start typing the name of a city, country, or timezone identifier, and the list will filter automatically. You can search by city name (e.g., "Tokyo"), country (e.g., "Japan"), or timezone code (e.g., "JST").
The tool automatically detects your browser's timezone as the default, but you can change it to any supported timezone. All conversions are performed with respect to the selected timezone, so you can see exactly how a timestamp appears in different parts of the world.
Note: Unix timestamps themselves are always in UTC. The timezone selection affects how the timestamp is displayed in human-readable formats.
Common Use Cases
- API Development: Convert between Unix timestamps used in APIs and human-readable dates for debugging
- Database Work: Convert timestamps stored in databases to readable formats for analysis
- Log Analysis: Understand timestamps in log files and system logs
- Time Calculations: Calculate differences between timestamps or add/subtract time periods
- Cross-Platform Development: Convert timestamps between different systems that use different formats
- Debugging: Quickly check what a Unix timestamp represents during development
- Event Scheduling: Convert scheduled event times to Unix timestamps for programmatic use
- Timezone Conversion: See how the same moment appears in different timezones
Frequently Asked Questions
Unix timestamps can be in seconds (10 digits) or milliseconds (13 digits). Seconds are more common and sufficient for most use cases. Milliseconds provide millisecond-level precision, which is useful for high-frequency events or precise timing. This tool automatically detects which format you've entered based on the number of digits.
Unix timestamps themselves are always in UTC and don't change with timezone. However, the same timestamp represents different local times in different timezones. For example, 1609459200 (Jan 1, 2021 00:00:00 UTC) is January 1, 2021 at 1:00 AM in Central European Time, but December 31, 2020 at 4:00 PM Pacific Time. This tool shows you how the same timestamp appears in your selected timezone.
You can use various formats including: ISO 8601 (2024-01-01T12:00:00), date strings (2024-01-01), natural language dates, and more. The tool tries to parse common formats, but for best results, use ISO 8601 format or the standard date picker format.
The Unix epoch is January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. This is the reference point (zero) for all Unix timestamps. Timestamps before this date are negative numbers. The epoch was chosen by the creators of Unix as a convenient starting point for time tracking in computer systems.
No. All timestamp conversions happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your input is never sent to any server, stored in a database, or saved anywhere. Your privacy is protected, and the tool works offline once loaded.
This tool accepts timestamps representing dates between 1900 and 2100 for practical purposes. JavaScript's Date object can technically handle dates from around the year 100 to 275,000, but the practical range for most applications is much narrower. If you need to work with dates outside this range, you may need specialized tools.
Most programming languages have built-in functions to convert Unix timestamps. In
JavaScript: new Date(timestamp * 1000) (if timestamp is in seconds) or new Date(timestamp) (if in milliseconds). In Python: datetime.fromtimestamp(timestamp). Use
this tool to verify your conversions or understand what a timestamp represents.