Convert Epoch Time to Date Time in Python

Epoch time, also known as Unix time or POSIX time, is a way of representing time as the number of seconds that have elapsed since 00:00:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), Thursday, 1 January 1970. Converting epoch time to a human-readable date and time is a common task in programming, especially in Python. In this article, we will explore some simple and generally used methods to achieve this conversion.

How To Convert Epoch Time To Date Time In Python?

Below, are the methods of How To Convert Epoch Time To Date Time In Python

• Using time Module
• Using datetime Module
• Using arrow Library
• Using Pandas Library

Convert Epoch Time To Date Time Using time Module

In this example, This code uses the `time` module to convert the given epoch time (1613474400) to a formatted string representing the UTC date and time in the format ‘YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss’.

Python3

import time

epoch_time = 1613474400  # Replace with your epoch time

formatted_time = time.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S', time.gmtime(epoch_time))
print(formatted_time)

Output

2021-02-16 11:20:00

Convert Epoch Time To Date Time Using datetime Module

In this example, This code utilizes the `datetime` module to convert the given epoch time (1613474400) to a UTC `datetime` object, and then formats it into a string representation (‘YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss’).

Python3

from datetime import datetime

epoch_time = 1613474400  # Replace with your epoch time

dt_object = datetime.utcfromtimestamp(epoch_time)
formatted_time = dt_object.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
print(formatted_time)

Output

2021-02-16 11:20:00

Convert Epoch Time To Date Time Using Arrow Library

In this example, This code uses the `arrow` library to convert the given epoch time (1613474400) to a formatted string representing the date and time in the ‘YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss’ format.

Python3

import arrow

epoch_time = 1613474400  # Replace with your epoch time

formatted_time = arrow.get(epoch_time).format('YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss')
print(formatted_time)

Output

2021-02-16 11:20:00

Convert Epoch Time To Date Time Using Pandas Library

In this example, This code uses the `pandas` library to convert the given epoch time (1613474400) to a formatted string representing the date and time in the ‘YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss‘ format. The result is stored in a DataFrame column.

Python3

import pandas as pd

epoch_time = 1613474400  # Replace with your epoch time

df = pd.DataFrame({'epoch_time': [epoch_time]})
df['formatted_time'] = pd.to_datetime(df['epoch_time'], unit='s').dt.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')
formatted_time = df['formatted_time'].iloc[0]
print(formatted_time)

Output

2021-02-16 11:20:00

Conclusion

In conclusion, converting epoch time to a human-readable date and time in Python can be achieved through various straightforward methods. The use of standard libraries such as time and datetime provides simple and effective solutions, allowing for easy conversion and formatting. Additionally, external libraries like arrow and pandas offer alternative approaches, offering flexibility and additional functionalities. Whether using the simplicity of built-in modules or the enhanced features of external librarie.