The datetime-mcp server exposes the host OS clock as MCP tools over stdio transport, providing lightweight date/time utilities:
Get current date/time (datetime.now): Retrieve the current date and time from the host OS clock, optionally specifying an IANA timezone (e.g., America/New_York). Returns UTC ISO string, epoch milliseconds, and a human-readable format.
Parse a date/time string (datetime.parse): Convert any JS Date-compatible string into canonical forms (UTC ISO, epoch milliseconds, human-readable). Optionally accepts an IANA timezone for localized output.
Check server health (datetime.health): Retrieve server metrics including wall clock epoch time, monotonic time (immune to NTP adjustments), and process uptime in milliseconds.
A default timezone can be configured via the MCP_TZ environment variable (defaults to Australia/Perth). The server can be run via npx, global npm install, or local development, and integrates with Claude Code or Claude Desktop.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@datetime-mcp What's the current time in New York?"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
A lightweight MCP server that exposes the host OS clock as date/time tools over stdio transport.
npx datetime-mcpOr install globally:
npm install -g datetime-mcpRelated MCP server: Utility MCP Server
datetime.nowReturns the current date/time from the host OS clock.
Parameter | Required | Description |
| no | IANA timezone (e.g. |
{
"tz": "Australia/Perth",
"utcIso": "2026-01-22T03:30:00.000Z",
"epochMs": 1737516600000,
"human": "Thu, 22 Jan 2026, 11:30:00 AWST"
}datetime.parseParses a date/time string and returns canonical forms.
Parameter | Required | Description |
| yes | Date/time string parseable by JS |
| no | IANA timezone for human-readable output |
{
"input": "2026-01-22",
"tz": "Australia/Perth",
"utcIso": "2026-01-22T00:00:00.000Z",
"epochMs": 1737504000000,
"human": "Thu, 22 Jan 2026, 08:00:00 AWST"
}datetime.healthReturns server health metrics including monotonic time (won't jump with NTP adjustments).
{
"wallEpochMs": 1737516600000,
"monotonicMs": 12345678,
"processUptimeMs": 5000
}Add to ~/.claude/settings.json or project .mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"datetime": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "datetime-mcp"],
"env": {
"MCP_TZ": "Australia/Perth"
}
}
}
}Add to your Claude Desktop MCP config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"datetime": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "datetime-mcp"],
"env": {
"MCP_TZ": "Australia/Perth"
}
}
}
}Variable | Default | Description |
|
| Default IANA timezone |
pnpm install
pnpm dev # run with tsx (hot reload)
pnpm build # compile TypeScript
pnpm start # run compiled outputMIT
Inputs: no named parameters.
Inputs: tz.
Inputs: value (required), tz.
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
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Scored across 3 tools
The three tools have clearly distinct purposes: health likely checks server status, now retrieves the current datetime, and parse converts datetime strings. There is no overlap or ambiguity between these functions.
All tool names follow a consistent pattern with a common prefix 'datetime.' and clear, concise suffixes (health, now, parse). This uniformity makes the set predictable and easy to understand.
Three tools is a borderline count for a datetime server; it covers basic operations but feels thin, potentially lacking advanced features like formatting, timezone handling, or date arithmetic that might be expected in this domain.
The tool set is significantly incomplete for datetime operations; it includes core functions (now, parse) but lacks essential tools for formatting, timezone conversion, date arithmetic, or validation, which are common in datetime libraries and could cause agent failures.
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