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 JSDate-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 "Install 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-mcpWhat'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.
datetime-mcp
A lightweight MCP server that exposes the host OS clock as date/time tools over stdio transport.
Quick Start
npx datetime-mcpOr install globally:
npm install -g datetime-mcpTools
datetime.now
Returns 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.parse
Parses 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.health
Returns server health metrics including monotonic time (won't jump with NTP adjustments).
{
"wallEpochMs": 1737516600000,
"monotonicMs": 12345678,
"processUptimeMs": 5000
}Configuration
Claude Code
Add to ~/.claude/settings.json or project .mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"datetime": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "datetime-mcp"],
"env": {
"MCP_TZ": "Australia/Perth"
}
}
}
}Claude Desktop
Add to your Claude Desktop MCP config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"datetime": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "datetime-mcp"],
"env": {
"MCP_TZ": "Australia/Perth"
}
}
}
}Environment Variables
Variable | Default | Description |
|
| Default IANA timezone |
Development
pnpm install
pnpm dev # run with tsx (hot reload)
pnpm build # compile TypeScript
pnpm start # run compiled outputLicense
MIT
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