# Format a date for the given locale

Use Intl.DateTimeFormat with an explicit locale and time zone.

Canonical: https://1loc.dev/date-time/format-a-date-for-the-given-locale/
Version: 1.0.0
Runtime: JavaScript · Node.js 22 / modern browsers
Verification: Local fixtures; no external services
Updated: 2026-10-28

## Implementation

```javascript
function formatDate({ date, locale }) { return new Intl.DateTimeFormat(locale, { timeZone: 'UTC' }).format(new Date(date)); }
```

## Input

```json
{
  "date": "2026-10-28",
  "locale": "pt-BR"
}
```

## Expected output

```json
"28/10/2026"
```

## Edge case

Input:
```json
{
  "date": "2026-10-28",
  "locale": "en-US"
}
```
Output:
```json
"10/28/2026"
```

## Limits

- timeZone: "UTC" keeps a YYYY-MM-DD date on the same day; without it a local time zone west of UTC shows the previous day.
- Exact output can vary slightly between ICU versions.

The lab validates types and size before calling this function. Add equivalent validation at your own trust boundary.

## Source and license

Original: https://github.com/phuocng/1loc/blob/14b481cf60dff1620ab1bb99a43b1f68068cdd9b/contents/format-a-date-for-the-given-locale.mdx
Author: Nguyen Huu Phuoc and original contributors
Contributors: See original repository history
Source commit: 14b481cf60dff1620ab1bb99a43b1f68068cdd9b
Copyright (c) 2020 phuoc-ng
License: MIT — https://1loc.dev/licenses/
Maintainer: Oveyon
Modifications: Pins timeZone to UTC so a calendar date does not shift to the previous day. Original MDX retained as inert source evidence.