How to Get Current Date in Python: Simple Guide

To get the current date in Python, use the datetime module and call datetime.date.today(). This returns the current date as a date object representing year, month, and day.

Syntax

Use the datetime module's date.today() method to get the current date. It returns a date object with year, month, and day.

• datetime.date.today(): Gets current local date.
• datetime: The module that contains date and time classes.

python

from datetime import date

current_date = date.today()

Example

This example shows how to get and print the current date in Python.

python

from datetime import date

current_date = date.today()
print("Today's date is:", current_date)

Output

Today's date is: 2024-06-15

Common Pitfalls

Some common mistakes include:

• Using datetime.now() which returns date and time, not just the date.
• Forgetting to import date from datetime.
• Trying to print the date without converting it to string (though print handles this automatically).

python

from datetime import datetime

# Wrong: datetime.now() returns date and time
current_date_time = datetime.now()
print("Current date and time:", current_date_time)

# Right: use date.today() for date only
from datetime import date
current_date = date.today()
print("Current date:", current_date)

Output

Current date and time: 2024-06-15 10:30:45.123456
Current date: 2024-06-15

Quick Reference

Summary of methods to get current date:

Method	Description	Returns
date.today()	Current local date	Date object (year-month-day)
datetime.now()	Current local date and time	Datetime object (year-month-day hour:min:sec)
datetime.utcnow()	Current UTC date and time	Datetime object in UTC

Key Takeaways

Use date.today() from the datetime module to get the current date only.

Remember to import date from datetime before using it.

datetime.now() returns date and time, not just the date.

The returned date object can be printed directly or formatted as needed.

For UTC date and time, use datetime.utcnow().