Do you need to convert DateTime to a UNIX timestamp in Python? In this tutorial, I will show you how to convert DateTime to UNIX timestamp in Python.
To convert a datetime object to a Unix timestamp in Python, you can use the timestamp() method provided by the datetime module. First, create a datetime object, then call the timestamp() method on it. For example:
from datetime import datetime
dt = datetime(2024, 8, 14, 12, 0, 0)
unix_timestamp = dt.timestamp()
print(f"Unix Timestamp: {unix_timestamp}")This will output the Unix timestamp representing the specified date and time.
Unix timestamps represent the number of seconds that have elapsed since the Unix epoch (00:00:00 UTC on 1 January 1970).
Convert datetime to Unix Timestamp
Python’s datetime module provides a powerful way to work with dates and times. To convert a datetime object to a Unix timestamp, we can use the timestamp() method. Here’s a step-by-step example:
from datetime import datetime
# Create a datetime object
dt = datetime(2024, 8, 14, 12, 0, 0)
# Convert datetime to Unix timestamp
unix_timestamp = dt.timestamp()
print(f"Unix Timestamp: {unix_timestamp}")In this example, we first import the datetime class from the datetime module. We then create a datetime object representing August 14, 2024, at 12:00 PM. By calling the timestamp() method on this object, we obtain the Unix timestamp.
I have executed the above Python code and you can see the output in the screenshot below:
Read Convert Python String to Datetime with Timezone
Convert datetime to Unix Timestamp with Millisecond Precision
Sometimes, you might need Unix timestamps with millisecond precision. Python’s datetime module does not directly support millisecond precision, but we can achieve it by combining the timestamp() method with additional calculations.
Here’s how you can convert a datetime object to a Unix timestamp in milliseconds in Python:
from datetime import datetime
# Create a datetime object
dt = datetime(2024, 8, 14, 12, 0, 0, 123456)
# Convert datetime to Unix timestamp with milliseconds
unix_timestamp_ms = int(dt.timestamp() * 1000)
print(f"Unix Timestamp (milliseconds): {unix_timestamp_ms}")In this example, we create a datetime object that includes microseconds. By multiplying the result of the timestamp() method by 1000, we convert the Unix timestamp to milliseconds. Finally, we cast the result to an integer to remove any fractional milliseconds.
You can see the output in the screenshot below after I executed the above Python code.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, I have explained how to convert DateTime to UNIX Timestamp in Python and also explained convert datetime to Unix Timestamp with millisecond precision in Python.
You may like the following tutorials:
I am Bijay Kumar, a Microsoft MVP in SharePoint. Apart from SharePoint, I started working on Python, Machine learning, and artificial intelligence for the last 5 years. During this time I got expertise in various Python libraries also like Tkinter, Pandas, NumPy, Turtle, Django, Matplotlib, Tensorflow, Scipy, Scikit-Learn, etc… for various clients in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Check out my profile.
