Tools / Epoch Converter

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📚 About Unix Epoch Time & Conversion

Complete guide to understanding Unix timestamps and converting between epoch and human-readable dates

What is Unix Epoch Time?

Unix Epoch Time (also called Unix Timestamp or POSIX Time) is the number of seconds that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. It's widely used in computing because it's:

  • Standardized: Same across all systems and time zones
  • Timezone-independent: Always referenced to UTC
  • Efficient: Simple integer representation
  • Sortable: Direct numeric comparison for chronological order
  • Compatible: Used in databases, APIs, logs, and timestamps
  • Precise: Can include milliseconds or microseconds

Key Epoch Facts

  • Start: January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC (Unix Epoch)
  • Current: Over 1.7 billion seconds elapsed
  • Format: Typically a 10-digit number (seconds)
  • Milliseconds: 13-digit numbers (1609459200000)
  • Base: UTC/GMT standard time
  • Year 2038 Problem: 32-bit systems overflow at 2,147,483,647
Example:
1609459200 = Jan 1, 2021, 00:00:00 UTC

Tool Features

  • Convert epoch to human-readable date
  • Convert date/time to epoch timestamp
  • Support for seconds and milliseconds
  • Timezone conversion display
  • Instant conversion
  • Copy results to clipboard
  • 100% browser-based (no server upload)

Common Use Cases

  • Log Analysis: Understanding timestamp entries in logs
  • Database Queries: Filtering and sorting by timestamp
  • API Development: Handling API response timestamps
  • Debugging: Understanding when events occurred
  • Scheduling: Setting task execution times
  • Time Calculations: Finding time differences between events

How to Use This Tool

🔢 To Convert Epoch to Date:
  1. Enter a Unix timestamp in the Epoch Time field
  2. Example: 1609459200 for January 1, 2021
  3. Click Convert to Date button
  4. View the human-readable date/time in the results
📅 To Convert Date to Epoch:
  1. Select a date and time using the Date/Time picker
  2. Click Convert to Epoch button
  3. Get the Unix timestamp in the results
  4. Copy the result with one click

Common Epoch Timestamps

0 Jan 1, 1970
946684800 Jan 1, 2000
1356998400 Jan 1, 2013
1483228800 Jan 1, 2017
1577836800 Jan 1, 2020
1609459200 Jan 1, 2021
1640995200 Jan 1, 2022
1672531200 Jan 1, 2023
1704067200 Jan 1, 2024

Epoch Time Formats

Seconds (Unix Timestamp):

1609459200

Milliseconds:

1609459200000

Microseconds:

1609459200000000

Quick Time Reference

  • 1 second = 1 epoch unit
  • 60 seconds = 1 minute
  • 3,600 seconds = 1 hour
  • 86,400 seconds = 1 day
  • 604,800 seconds = 1 week
  • 2,592,000 seconds = 1 month (30 days)
  • 31,536,000 seconds = 1 year

Timezone Considerations

🌍 Important Facts:
  • Unix Epoch is always in UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
  • The same epoch value represents the same moment everywhere
  • The displayed time changes by timezone, but the epoch value stays the same
  • Example: 1609459200 is Jan 1, 2021, 00:00:00 UTC
  • This same moment is Dec 31, 2020, 19:00:00 in EST (UTC-5)
💡 Best Practices:
  • Always store timestamps in UTC
  • Convert to local timezone only for display
  • Use epoch for all time calculations
  • Be aware of daylight saving time when converting
  • Never rely on system time zones for critical operations
  • Use dedicated timezone libraries for complex conversions

Common Issues & Solutions

❌ Time Off by Hours

Solution: This is usually a timezone issue. Remember that epoch is in UTC. Convert the result to your local timezone.

❌ Milliseconds vs Seconds

Solution: A 13-digit number is milliseconds (divide by 1000 for seconds). A 10-digit number is already seconds.

❌ Way-off Date

Solution: Check if you're using milliseconds instead of seconds, or if the timestamp is corrupted. Verify with known values.

❌ Negative Timestamp

Solution: Negative values represent times before January 1, 1970. This is valid but rarely used in practice.

Related Tools

Did You Know?

  • Y2K38 Problem: 32-bit systems will overflow on January 19, 2038
  • 64-bit Future: 64-bit systems can handle dates until year 292 billion
  • Web Standard: Most web APIs and databases use epoch timestamps
  • JavaScript: Uses milliseconds since epoch, not seconds
  • GPS: Uses a different epoch (January 6, 1980)
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