Python | os.path.getatime() method

os.path.getatime() method is used to get the last access time of a file or directory. It returns the time as the number of seconds since the Unix epoch.

Example: In the following example, we get the last access time of a file.

Output

1750123456.245891

Explanation: os.path.getatime("sample.txt") returns the last access time of the file as a floating-point value.

Syntax

os.path.getatime(path)

• Parameters: path - Path of the file or directory whose last access time is required.
• Return Value: Returns a floating-point value representing the last access time in seconds since the epoch.

Examples

Example 1: The following example retrieves and displays the last access time of a file.

Output

1750123456.245891

Explanation: os.path.getatime("data.txt") returns the timestamp of the file's most recent access.

Example 2: The following example converts the access timestamp into a human-readable date and time.

Output

Mon Jun 13 10:25:16 2026

Explanation: time.ctime(t) converts the timestamp returned by os.path.getatime() into a readable date and time string.

Example 3: The following example checks a file's access time and handles the error if the file does not exist.

Output

File not found

Explanation: If the specified file does not exist, os.path.getatime() raises an OSError, which is handled using the try-except block.