Epoch Converter

Q: What is epoch (Unix) time?

Epoch time, also called Unix time or POSIX time, is the number of seconds that have elapsed since 00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970 (the Unix epoch), not counting leap seconds. It gives a simple, timezone-independent way to represent a point in time as a single number.

Q: What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds in a timestamp?

A timestamp in seconds has 10 digits (for current dates), while a timestamp in milliseconds has 13 digits because it multiplies the value by 1000 for extra precision. This converter auto-detects which unit you paste so you don't have to convert manually.

Q: How do I convert an epoch timestamp to a date?

Paste the epoch value into the converter and the equivalent human-readable date and time appears instantly, in both your local timezone and UTC. You can also enter a date to get the matching Unix timestamp.

Q: How do I get the current Unix timestamp in code?

In JavaScript use Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000) for seconds. In Python use int(time.time()). In SQL (Presto/Trino) use to_unixtime(now()). See the Current Unix Timestamp page for ready-to-copy snippets.

Q: Why does Unix time start on January 1, 1970?

1 January 1970 was chosen as a convenient, recent reference point (the 'epoch') when Unix was being developed in the early 1970s. All Unix timestamps are measured as an offset in seconds from that moment.

Convert epoch time to human-readable date and convert dates back to unix timestamp. This epoch converter supports seconds and milliseconds.

Need the live epoch value? Open the Current Unix Timestamp page.

Convert timestamp to human-readable date and time

Supports Unix timestamps in seconds or milliseconds; each result shows the interpreted input unit.

Human-readable date and time to timestamp

Epoch timestamp format guide

Digits	Unit	Example	Meaning
10	Seconds	`1700000000`	Standard Unix epoch timestamp
13	Milliseconds	`1700000000000`	JavaScript `Date.now()` format

Tip: if your value has 13 digits, it is usually milliseconds. If it has 10 digits, it is usually seconds.

When to use this page vs Timestamp

Use Epoch Converter when you need quick epoch unit checks and direct conversion. Use Timestamp for extra utilities and code snippets. To turn a recurring wall-clock schedule into future run times, use the Cron Expression Builder. To count the days between two dates, use the Date Difference Calculator; to share a time in Discord that every reader sees in their own timezone, use the Discord Timestamp Generator. Browse every time tool in the Date & Time Tools hub.

Epoch Converter

Convert timestamp to human-readable date and time

Human-readable date and time to timestamp

Epoch timestamp format guide

When to use this page vs Timestamp

FAQ

What is epoch (Unix) time?

What is the difference between seconds and milliseconds in a timestamp?

How do I convert an epoch timestamp to a date?

How do I get the current Unix timestamp in code?

Why does Unix time start on January 1, 1970?

See also