A Unix timestamp is a core concept in computing. If you've seen a 10-digit number like 1678824000 in code, you've encountered one. This single number represents a precise moment, universally understood by machines.

A Unix timestamp is the number of seconds that have passed since January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This starting point is known as the Unix Epoch.

Why Use Unix Time?

Developers use Unix timestamps because they solve two big problems: time zones and efficiency.

• Time Zone Independence: A timestamp is always in UTC, eliminating time zone confusion. The user's browser converts it to local time for display.
• Efficiency: A single integer is faster to store and compare in a database than a complex date string like "2023-03-14T10:00:00-04:00".

The Year 2038 Problem

Older 32-bit systems store timestamps as a 32-bit signed integer. The largest number they can hold will be reached at 03:14:07 UTC on January 19, 2038. At this point, the timestamp will "roll over" to a negative number, causing many systems to interpret the date incorrectly. Fortunately, modern systems use 64-bit integers, pushing this problem billions of years into the future.

Further Reading

• Explore our Complete Time Calculator Resource for more tools.
• Learn about other technical formats in our guide to the Date Format Converter.