Date / Time

Always use timestamptz, never bare timestamp

timestamptz8 bytesRecommended

Default for any timestamp. Stores UTC internally, converts on display.

Range

4713 BC to 294276 AD

Performance

Same speed as timestamp. Zero overhead for timezone conversion.

Comparison

timestamptz vs timestamp: timestamptz stores in UTC and converts to session timezone on read. timestamp ignores timezones entirely — a common source of bugs. Always use timestamptz.

SQL Example

CREATE TABLE events (
  id bigint GENERATED ALWAYS AS IDENTITY PRIMARY KEY,
  created_at timestamptz NOT NULL DEFAULT now()
);