JavaScript Date getUTCMinutes() Method

Beginner
5 min read
Updated: Nov 2026
3 examples
Date
Decorative image with the word GETUTCMINUTES

Definition

Date.prototype.getUTCMinutes() returns the minutes for this date as an integer 0–59 according to universal time (UTC) (MDN). It is read-only and does not change the Date.

Remember
date.getUTCMinutes()

→ integer 0 … 59 (UTC)
→ NaN if the Date is invalid

Example (MDN):
  new Date("1 January 2000 03:15:30 GMT+07:00").getUTCMinutes() → 15
  new Date("1 January 2000 03:15:30 GMT+03:30").getUTCMinutes() → 45

getUTCMinutes() → UTC minutes
getMinutes()    → local minutes

Syntax

Call date.getUTCMinutes. Start with this line.

JavaScript
date.getUTCMinutes()
CallWhat it does
date.getUTCMinutes()Primary signature.
date.getUTCMinutes(...)Call with the arguments your case needs.

Built into JavaScript. Call getUTCMinutes(...) on a Date instance — no import required.

Library declarations
JavaScript
date.getUTCMinutes()

Parameters

This method has no parameters beyond those shown in the signature.

Return Value

Return ValueDescription
*The value returned by date.getUTCMinutes().

JavaScript Examples

Example 1 — Read the UTC Minutes

MDN: same local-looking times with different offsets → different UTC minutes.

JavaScript
const date1 = new Date("1 January 2000 03:15:30 GMT+07:00");
const date2 = new Date("1 January 2000 03:15:30 GMT+03:30");

console.log(date1.getUTCMinutes()); // 15
console.log(date2.getUTCMinutes()); // 45
Try It Yourself

How It Works

  1. Parse. Each string includes a GMT offset, so JavaScript stores a UTC instant.
  2. date1. GMT+07:00 → UTC 20:15 → minutes 15.
  3. date2. GMT+03:30 → UTC 23:45 → minutes 45.
  4. Lesson. The offset in the string changes the UTC minute — not just “03:15” as typed.

Example 2 — getUTCMinutes() vs getMinutes()

UTC and local minutes can disagree when the timezone shifts the clock.

JavaScript
const d = new Date("1995-12-25T23:15:30Z"); // 23:15:30 UTC

console.log(d.getUTCMinutes()); // 15
console.log(d.getMinutes());    // local minutes (often not 15)
Try It Yourself

How It Works

  1. UTC instant. The Z suffix means 23:15:30 in UTC.
  2. UTC getter. getUTCMinutes() always reports 15.
  3. Local getter. getMinutes() applies your timezone (e.g. 45 in UTC+5:30).
  4. Rule. Server / UTC pipelines → getUTCMinutes(); wall-clock local → getMinutes().

Example 3 — UTC HH:MM with Leading Zeros

Pad UTC hours and minutes for a simple clock string.

JavaScript
function utcClock(date) {
  const h = String(date.getUTCHours()).padStart(2, "0");
  const m = String(date.getUTCMinutes()).padStart(2, "0");
  return h + ":" + m;
}

console.log(utcClock(new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1, 9, 5))));  // "09:05"
console.log(utcClock(new Date(Date.UTC(2026, 0, 1, 14, 0)))); // "14:00"
Try It Yourself

How It Works

  1. Read UTC fields. Hours and minutes come from the UTC getters.
  2. Pad. padStart(2, "0") turns 5 into "05".
  3. Join. Combine with ":" for HH:MM.
  4. UI option. For locale-aware clocks, prefer toLocaleTimeString() with a timeZone option.
Compatibility

Browser & Runtime Support

Date.prototype.getUTCMinutes() is part of the language from early ECMAScript and is Baseline Widely available (MDN).

✓ Baseline · Widely available

Date.prototype.getUTCMinutes()

Supported in every modern browser and Node.js. No polyfill needed for ordinary web apps.

99% Modern browser support
Google Chrome Supported · Desktop & Mobile
Full support
Mozilla Firefox Supported · Desktop & Mobile
Full support
Apple Safari Supported · macOS & iOS
Full support
Microsoft Edge Supported · Chromium
Full support
Internet Explorer No native support · Use a polyfill
Polyfill
Opera Supported · Modern versions
Full support
Samsung Internet Supported · Android
Full support
Bun Supported · JavaScript runtime
Supported
Deno Supported · JavaScript runtime
Supported
Node.js Supported · Server runtime
Supported
Android WebView Supported · Modern WebView
Full support
Date.getUTCMinutes() Excellent

Bottom line: Safe everywhere. Focus on UTC vs local choice and invalid-Date checks rather than feature detection.

Frequently Asked Questions

An integer from 0 to 59 representing the minutes within the current hour according to UTC. Invalid Dates return NaN.
getUTCMinutes() uses UTC. getMinutes() uses local timezone rules. They can differ when your offset shifts the clock across a minute boundary.
getUTCMinutes() returns 0–59 for the UTC minute. getUTCMilliseconds() returns 0–999 for the fraction inside the current UTC second.
NaN. Validate with Number.isNaN(date.getTime()) before using the result.
No for valid dates — the range is 0–59. Overflow from setUTCMinutes rolls into the next UTC hour.
No. getUTCMinutes() only reads the clock minute (0–59). Use getTime(), Date.now(), or performance.now() for durations.

Next: getUTCMonth()

Learn how to read the UTC month field (0–11) from a Date.

getUTCMonth() tutorial →

About the author

Mari Selvan M P
Mari Selvan M P 🔗

Developer, cloud engineer, and technical writer

  • Experience 12 years building web and cloud systems
  • Focus Full Stack Development, AWS, and Developer Education

I write practical tutorials so students and working developers can learn by doing—from databases and APIs to deployment on AWS.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate (Credly)

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