Boston daylight dates, winter 2026–27
| Earliest sunset | Tuesday, December 8, 4:12 pm |
|---|---|
| Shortest day | Monday, December 21, 9 h 05 min (sunrise 7:10 am, sunset 4:15 pm) |
| Latest sunrise | Sunday, January 3, 7:14 am |
| 10 hours of daylight | Monday, February 1 |
| First sunset after 5 pm | Wednesday, February 3 (5:01 pm) |
| 11 hours of daylight | Thursday, February 25 |
| 12 hours of daylight | Thursday, March 18 |
| 13 hours of daylight | Thursday, April 8 |
| Longest day | Monday, June 21, 15 h 17 min |
The December solstice is at 3:50 pm on December 21, Boston time. With daylight saving time the October 31 sunrise is later on the clock (7:16 am).
Daylight gained in Boston, by date
| Date | Since solstice | Daylight | That day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +4 min 13 sec | 9 h 09 min | +44 sec | 7:13 am | 4:22 pm |
| Jan 15 | +21 min | 9 h 26 min | +1 min 36 sec | 7:11 am | 4:37 pm |
| Feb 1 | +56 min | 10 h 00 min | +2 min 19 sec | 6:58 am | 4:58 pm |
| Feb 15 | +1 h 31 min | 10 h 35 min | +2 min 39 sec | 6:41 am | 5:16 pm |
| Mar 1 | +2 h 09 min | 11 h 14 min | +2 min 49 sec | 6:20 am | 5:34 pm |
| Mar 15 | +2 h 49 min | 11 h 54 min | +2 min 53 sec | 6:56 am | 6:51 pm |
| Apr 1 | +3 h 38 min | 12 h 43 min | +2 min 51 sec | 6:27 am | 7:10 pm |
Boston: questions people ask
Why does it get dark so early in Boston?
Boston's clocks run behind the sun: on the shortest day the sun is highest at 11:42 am, before noon. That pulls sunset earlier. The earliest is 4:12 pm on Tuesday, December 8, and by January 31 sunset is back to 4:57 pm.
Why is the latest sunrise in Boston in October?
Because of daylight saving time. On Saturday, October 31, the last day before the clocks go back, the sun rises at 7:16 am. The next morning it is 6:18 am. On standard time the latest sunrise is 7:14 am on January 3, 3 minutes earlier.
When do the clocks go forward in Boston, and what happens to sunset?
On Sunday, March 14, 2027. Sunset jumps from 5:48 pm the day before to 6:49 pm, and sunrise from 6:00 am to 6:58 am. The day itself is about 2 minutes, 53 seconds longer.
When does Boston gain daylight fastest?
Around the March equinox, when it gains 2 minutes, 53 seconds a day (fastest on March 19). Right after the solstice the gain is small: 44 seconds a day on January 1, and 2 minutes, 19 seconds a day by February 1.
Shortest day in nearby cities
- New York: 9 h 15 min
- Montreal: 8 h 42 min
- Philadelphia: 9 h 20 min
- Ottawa: 8 h 43 min
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Sun times use NOAA's solar equations, checked against U.S. Naval Observatory tables. City data from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0).