Chuk MCP Time Server

You have access to a high-accuracy MCP server that provides trusted time information and comprehensive timezone handling. It consolidates multiple NTP sources to produce a consensus UTC time, then offers precise timezone conversions and discovery using IANA tzdata. This makes it ideal for logging, scheduling, and distributed systems where dependable time is essential.

How to use

Connect to the public HTTP endpoint to query time without installing anything. Use an MCP client to point to the public endpoint at https://time.chukai.io/mcp and request the time stream from there.

If you prefer running a local instance for development or custom workloads, you can run the MCP server locally in STDIO mode with the runtime tool uvx or start an HTTP-enabled local server. STDIO is suitable for Claude Desktop, mcp-cli, or other MCP clients that use STDIO transport. HTTP mode lets you expose a local HTTP endpoint for testing.

Once the server is available, you can perform the following common tasks: obtain high-accuracy UTC time, convert times to different IANA timezones, fetch localized times with DST handling, convert between zones, discover valid timezones, inspect timezone information, and compare against trusted NTP sources for drift detection.

How to install

Prerequisites: make sure you have Python and a runtime to install and run MCP servers. You also have the option to use a lightweight runner like uvx for local execution.

Option A — Run via public endpoint (no installation required) – simply connect your MCP client to https://time.chukai.io/mcp.

Option B — Install with Python’s package manager (pip) and run locally in a standard environment.

Step-by-step commands if you want a local Python-based run:

pip install chuk-mcp-time

# Run a local HTTP server (default port 8000)
python -m chuk_mcp_time.server http

Configuration and usage notes

The server uses multiple NTP sources to compute a consensus time and then applies latency compensation so the returned timestamp reflects the moment the response is sent. You can disable latency compensation if you want the raw consensus timestamp.

Timezone handling relies on IANA tzdata via the standard timezone utilities. You get authoritative local times, including DST transitions, without relying on your system clock. You can list timezones, search by keyword, and retrieve detailed timezone information including upcoming transitions.

Available tools and endpoints

The server exposes multiple endpoints to obtain time, convert time, and inspect timezone data. Core endpoints include: get_time_utc, get_time_for_timezone, get_local_time, convert_time, list_timezones, get_timezone_info, and compare_system_clock.

Available tools

get_time_utc

Get current UTC time with high accuracy using NTP consensus, with options for fast or accurate modes and latency compensation.

get_time_for_timezone

Get current time for a specific IANA timezone with high accuracy, including timezone name in the response.

get_local_time

Get current localized time for a specific IANA timezone using NTP consensus and IANA tzdata for authoritative conversion.

convert_time

Convert a datetime between timezones using IANA rules, including DST handling and offset calculations.

list_timezones

List available IANA timezones with optional country code or search filtering.

get_timezone_info

Get detailed information about a timezone, including upcoming transitions and current offset.

compare_system_clock

Compare system clock against trusted NTP sources to detect drift and provide a delta estimate.