This table is vacuumed and analyzed every hour, so yes, it's been analyzed recently. These are the EXPLAIN ANALYZE outputs for both the equality condition and the greater than condition: orguser=# explain analyze select alias from clientswhere modify_date = '2008-01-01' ; QUERY PLAN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Index Scan using new_idx_modify_date on clients (cost=0.00..30.23 rows=8 width=10) (actual time=0.136..0.136 rows=0 loops=1) Index Cond: (modify_date = '2008-01-01 00:00:00'::timestamp without time zone) Total runtime: 0.220 ms (3 rows) Time: 2.832 ms orguser=# explain analyze select alias from clientswhere modify_date > '2008-01-01' ; QUERY PLAN ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Seq Scan on clients (cost=0.00..237043.09 rows=136617 width=10) (actual time=0.391..4007.188 rows=148225 loops=1) Filter: (modify_date > '2008-01-01 00:00:00'::timestamp without time zone) Total runtime: 4539.242 ms (3 rows) Time: 4539.850 ms Welcome any thoughts. Thanks! ---------------------------(end of broadcast)--------------------------- TIP 4: Have you searched our list archives? http://archives.postgresql.org/