Unix Timestamp Converter
Convert a Unix epoch timestamp to a human-readable date.
Enter a Unix timestamp (seconds or milliseconds) to see it as a readable date in UTC and your local time. The current epoch is shown too — press Regenerate to refresh it.
Formula / method
Examples
Tue, 14 Nov 2023 22:13:20 UTC
the Unix epoch (1 Jan 1970)
What a Unix timestamp is
A Unix timestamp, also called epoch time, counts the number of seconds that have elapsed since midnight UTC on 1 January 1970, a moment known as the epoch. It is the standard way computers store an instant in time because a single integer is unambiguous and easy to compare or sort. This tool turns that number into a human-readable date and can convert a date back into its timestamp.
Some systems record the value in milliseconds rather than seconds, making the number about a thousand times larger, so check the length if a converted date lands wildly in the future or the past.
Time zones and the 2038 limit
The raw timestamp is always defined in UTC; the calendar date and clock time you see depend on the time zone applied when it is displayed, which is why the same number can read as two different local times around the world.
Older software that stores the count in a signed 32-bit integer will overflow on 19 January 2038, the well-known Year 2038 problem, after which the value can wrap to a negative number. Modern 64-bit systems push that limit far beyond any practical concern. Tokens such as JWTs also use epoch seconds, which you can inspect with the JWT Decoder.
Where it's used
- Converting log or database timestamps into readable dates
- Debugging API responses that return epoch time
- Reading the 'exp' and 'iat' fields inside a JWT
- Checking whether a value is stored in seconds or milliseconds
- Comparing an integer timestamp against the current time
Real-world examples
- 1700000000 converts to Tue, 14 Nov 2023 22:13:20 UTC
- 0 is the Unix epoch itself — midnight on 1 January 1970
- A 13-digit value like 1700000000000 is auto-detected as milliseconds
- The tool also shows the current epoch so you can diff against 'now'
A bit of history
Unix time counts the number of seconds elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970, a moment known as the Unix epoch, and it became the standard way computers represent an instant in time.
Did you know?
Systems that store Unix time in a signed 32-bit integer will overflow at 03:14:07 UTC on 19 January 2038 — the 'Year 2038 problem' — after which the value wraps around to December 1901.
FAQ
Seconds or milliseconds?
Both work — values larger than about 10¹² are treated as milliseconds, otherwise as seconds. Unix time counts from 1 January 1970 UTC.