Countdown Timer
Set a target date and time to see how much time remains. The countdown refreshes every second in UTC.
Enter a target date and time to start the countdown.
Next step: Days Between Dates
When to use this calculator
Use this calculator whenever you want a live, second-by-second countdown to a specific moment—a launch, an event start time, or any deadline where the exact time of day matters, not just the calendar day.
Product or event launches
Display a live countdown to a launch or go-live moment.
Event start times
Count down to a wedding ceremony, concert, or webinar start time.
Deadline tracking
Watch time remaining tick down to a submission or filing deadline.
Calendar days only instead
For the elapsed span between two past or future moments without a live display, use the Date Difference Calculator. For calendar days only, use Days Between Dates.
Inputs
Target date
The calendar date to count down to.
Target time
The clock time to combine with the date, treated as UTC.
How the calculation works
The target date and time are interpreted as UTC. Remaining time is computed from the current UTC instant and shown as days, hours, minutes, and seconds. When the target has passed, all values read zero.
Use this for launches, deadlines, and events. For the elapsed span between two past or future moments, use the Date Difference Calculator. For calendar days only, use Days Between Dates.
Worked example
Target date and time: 1 June 2025, 15:00 UTC. Current moment: 28 May 2025, 09:00 UTC.
Remaining: 4 days, 6 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds.
The display updates every second as the page stays open, counting down toward zero at the target instant.
Edge cases
Target already passed
If the target date and time are in the past, all values (days, hours, minutes, seconds) read zero rather than showing a negative countdown.
Target is the current moment
As the countdown approaches zero, seconds tick down normally and the display reads all zeros at the exact target instant.
Leaving the page open across the target
The countdown continues updating live as long as the page remains open, correctly reaching zero without needing a manual refresh.
Related Countdown Calculators
The Days Until Calculator counts calendar days to any future date—or how many days ago a past date was—with an optional include-today setting for planning.
Countdown To Date adds an optional UTC time, event name, and hour/minute updates when you need more detail than calendar days alone.
The Countdown Timer gives a live, second-by-second display with days, hours, minutes, and seconds when the target includes a specific time of day in UTC.
The Days Until Birthday Calculator finds the next occurrence of a birthday from month and day only—no birth year required.
The How Many Days Left In Year Calculator counts UTC calendar days remaining through December 31 from today or a custom date.
Seasonal calculators target the next occurrence automatically—no date to enter. Fixed dates include Valentine's Day (February 14), Independence Day (July 4), Halloween (October 31), Christmas (December 25), and New Year's Day (January 1).
Movable US holidays use the same rules as the dynamic event pages: Mother's Day (second Sunday in May), Father's Day (third Sunday in June), Memorial Day (last Monday in May), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Good Friday and Easter Sunday (Gregorian), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November), Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), and Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving).
FAQ
- Does the countdown update automatically?
- Yes. The display refreshes every second while the page is open, counting down days, hours, minutes, and seconds to the target instant.
- What happens when the target time passes?
- All values read zero. The countdown does not go negative or show elapsed time past the target.
- Is the target time UTC or my local time?
- The target date and time you enter are treated as UTC, not your local time zone. Convert your local target time to UTC first if needed, or use the Timezone Converter.
- How is this different from the Countdown To Date Calculator?
- This calculator focuses on a live, continuously updating display. Countdown To Date adds an optional event name and a plain-language summary alongside calendar days, weeks, and approximate months.
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