Date and Time Converter: Transform Between Formats Instantly
Convert between date and time formats including ISO 8601, Unix timestamps, and various timezone representations. Essential for API development.
February 13, 2026
Why Date and Time Conversion Matters
Dates and times are among the most challenging data types in software development. Different systems, APIs, and databases use different formats, and converting between them is a daily task for developers. Our Date and Time Converter eliminates the guesswork and provides instant, accurate conversions between all major date and time formats.
Common Date and Time Formats
ISO 8601
ISO 8601 is the international standard for representing dates and times. It follows the pattern YYYY-MM-DDTHH:mm:ss.sssZ, such as 2026-02-16T14:30:00.000Z. The format is unambiguous, sortable, and widely adopted by modern APIs and databases. The trailing Z indicates UTC time, while an offset like +05:30 specifies a particular timezone.
Unix Timestamps
A Unix timestamp represents the number of seconds (or milliseconds) elapsed since January 1, 1970, at 00:00:00 UTC, known as the Unix epoch. For example, the timestamp 1771340400 corresponds to a specific moment in 2026. Unix timestamps are widely used in programming, logging systems, and databases because they are timezone-agnostic and easy to compare mathematically.
RFC 2822
RFC 2822 is commonly used in email headers and HTTP headers. It looks like Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:30:00 +0000. While human-readable, it is less suitable for sorting and comparison than ISO 8601.
Human-Readable Formats
Formats like February 16, 2026, 16/02/2026, or 02-16-2026 are designed for end users. The challenge is that date ordering conventions vary by locale. In the United States, MM/DD/YYYY is standard, while most of Europe uses DD/MM/YYYY. This ambiguity makes these formats unreliable for data exchange.
Timezone Handling
Timezones add a layer of complexity to date and time conversion. There are over 400 timezone identifiers in the IANA timezone database, and many regions observe daylight saving time, which shifts UTC offsets seasonally. Our converter handles timezone conversions accurately, accounting for DST rules and historical timezone changes.
UTC as the Universal Reference
Best practice in software development is to store all timestamps in UTC and convert to local time only for display purposes. This approach avoids ambiguity and simplifies date arithmetic across different regions.
Use Cases for Date Conversion
- API Development: APIs typically exchange dates in ISO 8601 or Unix timestamps. Converting between these formats is essential when integrating with third-party services.
- Data Processing: When importing data from CSV files, spreadsheets, or legacy systems, you often encounter inconsistent date formats that need normalization.
- International Applications: Applications serving users across timezones must convert and display dates correctly for each user's locale.
- Logging and Debugging: Server logs often use Unix timestamps or ISO 8601. Converting these to human-readable formats speeds up debugging.
- Database Migration: Different databases store dates in different formats. Converting between them ensures data integrity during migration.
How to Use the Date and Time Converter
Enter a date or time value in any recognized format, and the tool instantly converts it to all other supported formats. You can input an ISO 8601 string, a Unix timestamp in seconds or milliseconds, an RFC 2822 date, or a common human-readable format. The converter also allows you to specify the target timezone for localized output.
Best Practices for Working with Dates
Always use ISO 8601 for data interchange. Store dates in UTC whenever possible. Use established libraries like date-fns or Luxon instead of manual string manipulation. Be explicit about timezones in all API contracts. Our converter is the perfect companion tool when you need quick, reliable date format conversions without writing code.