Convert DATE to TIMESTAMP, Free
Files convert instantly in your browser. 100% private, any file size, no account needed.
How to convert DATE to TIMESTAMP
A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds elapsed since January 1, 1970 at 00:00:00 UTC, also called the Unix epoch. Virtually every programming language, database, and API uses this integer internally to store dates and times because it is timezone-neutral, unambiguous, and trivially arithmetic. To convert a human-readable date like '2024-06-15' to its Unix timestamp, you compute the total seconds from the epoch to midnight UTC on that date. This runs instantly in your browser using JavaScript's Date object.
The direction of the conversion matters for timezone handling. A date like June 15, 2024 does not specify a timezone, so the converter lets you choose whether to treat it as UTC (00:00:00 UTC) or local time (midnight in your browser's timezone). These can differ by hours, resulting in different timestamp values. Most server-side systems store timestamps in UTC, so when feeding the result to an API or database, confirm which timezone interpretation is expected.
Enter the date
Type a date in YYYY-MM-DD format, or use the date picker. Time components are optional; the default is midnight (00:00:00).
Choose UTC or local time
Select whether to interpret the date as UTC or as midnight in your local timezone. This affects the output value.
Read the Unix timestamp
The 10-digit integer appears instantly. This is seconds since January 1, 1970 00:00:00 UTC.
Copy and use
Paste the timestamp into your code, API payload, or database query. For milliseconds (as used by JavaScript), multiply by 1000.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Unix timestamp?
An integer count of seconds since January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. It is the universal machine representation of a point in time, used by Linux, macOS, databases, and most web APIs.
Why does my timestamp differ from another online converter?
Likely a timezone difference. If you and the other tool are interpreting the date differently (UTC vs. local), the outputs will differ by the UTC offset of the local timezone.
How do I get a millisecond timestamp?
Multiply the Unix timestamp (seconds) by 1000. JavaScript's Date.now() returns milliseconds by default; many other languages default to seconds.
What date corresponds to timestamp 0?
January 1, 1970, 00:00:00 UTC. This is the Unix epoch, the agreed-upon origin point for Unix time.
Is there a maximum Unix timestamp?
32-bit systems store timestamps in a signed 32-bit integer, which overflows on January 19, 2038 (the Y2K38 problem). Modern 64-bit systems can represent dates billions of years in the future.