Date to Unix Epoch Converter - Timestamp Generator
Convert any date and time to Unix epoch timestamp. Get seconds and milliseconds precision for programming and database use.
Convert Date to Unix Timestamp
This tool converts human-readable dates into Unix epoch timestamps—the number of seconds (or milliseconds) that have elapsed since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. Epoch timestamps are the universal language for representing time in programming, databases, and APIs.
Why Convert Dates to Epoch?
Database Storage
Storing timestamps as integers is more efficient than datetime strings. Queries are faster, indexing is simpler, and comparisons are just integer operations.
API Parameters
Many APIs accept epoch timestamps for date parameters. Whether filtering by date range or setting expiration times, epoch format is universally understood.
Cross-Timezone Consistency
Epoch time is always UTC-based. Converting local times to epoch removes timezone ambiguity, ensuring consistent behavior across distributed systems.
JWT Token Expiration
JSON Web Tokens use epoch seconds for 'exp' (expiration) and 'iat' (issued at) claims. This tool helps you generate correct timestamp values for token creation.
Seconds vs Milliseconds
- Seconds (10 digits): Unix standard, used by most systems and languages.
- Milliseconds (13 digits): JavaScript/Java standard, provides more precision.
Always check your target system's requirements. JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds, while Python's time.time() returns seconds.
Programming Examples
Converting dates to epoch in various languages:
- JavaScript:
new Date('2024-01-01').getTime() / 1000 - Python:
datetime.datetime(2024,1,1).timestamp() - PHP:
strtotime('2024-01-01') - Java:
Instant.parse("2024-01-01T00:00:00Z").getEpochSecond() - Linux:
date -d '2024-01-01' +%s
Timezone Considerations
When converting dates to epoch, timezone handling is crucial:
- This tool uses your browser's local timezone for the datetime picker.
- The resulting epoch is always UTC-based.
- If you need a specific timezone, convert the date accordingly before picking.
- ISO 8601 format includes timezone information for clarity.
Common Epoch Timestamps
- Jan 1, 2020 00:00 UTC: 1577836800
- Jan 1, 2024 00:00 UTC: 1704067200
- Jan 1, 2025 00:00 UTC: 1735689600
- Jan 1, 2030 00:00 UTC: 1893456000