Charlotte daylight dates, winter 2026–27
| Earliest sunset | Saturday, December 5, 5:11 pm |
|---|---|
| Shortest day | Monday, December 21, 9 h 47 min (sunrise 7:28 am, sunset 5:15 pm) |
| Latest sunrise | Thursday, January 7, 7:32 am |
| 10 hours of daylight | Wednesday, January 13 |
| First sunset after 6 pm | Wednesday, February 10 (6:01 pm) |
| 11 hours of daylight | Wednesday, February 17 |
| 12 hours of daylight | Wednesday, March 17 |
| 13 hours of daylight | Tuesday, April 13 |
| Longest day | Monday, June 21, 14 h 32 min |
The December solstice is at 3:50 pm on December 21, Charlotte time. With daylight saving time the October 31 sunrise is later on the clock (7:44 am).
Daylight gained in Charlotte, by date
| Date | Since solstice | Daylight | That day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +3 min 10 sec | 9 h 50 min | +33 sec | 7:32 am | 5:22 pm |
| Jan 15 | +16 min | 10 h 03 min | +1 min 13 sec | 7:31 am | 5:34 pm |
| Feb 1 | +42 min | 10 h 29 min | +1 min 46 sec | 7:23 am | 5:52 pm |
| Feb 15 | +1 h 09 min | 10 h 56 min | +2 min 2 sec | 7:10 am | 6:06 pm |
| Mar 1 | +1 h 39 min | 11 h 26 min | +2 min 11 sec | 6:53 am | 6:19 pm |
| Mar 15 | +2 h 10 min | 11 h 57 min | +2 min 14 sec | 7:34 am | 7:31 pm |
| Apr 1 | +2 h 48 min | 12 h 34 min | +2 min 12 sec | 7:10 am | 7:45 pm |
Charlotte: questions people ask
Why does the sun rise so late in Charlotte in winter?
Charlotte's clocks run ahead of the sun: on the shortest day the sun is highest at 12:22 pm, not at noon. So the morning gets less of the daylight, and the latest sunrise is 7:32 am on Thursday, January 7.
When is the earliest sunset in Charlotte?
December 5, 2026, at 5:11 pm. That is 16 days before the shortest day, because solar noon drifts later through December. The evenings are already a little lighter by the solstice.
Does Charlotte get more winter daylight than New York?
Yes. Charlotte's shortest day is 9 h 47 min, 32 minutes longer than New York's (9 h 15 min). Summer is the other way round: on the longest day Charlotte gets 14 h 32 min, 34 minutes less than New York.
When does Charlotte gain daylight fastest?
Around the March equinox, when it gains 2 minutes, 14 seconds a day (fastest on March 19). Right after the solstice the gain is small: 33 seconds a day on January 1, and 1 minute, 46 seconds a day by February 1.
Shortest day in nearby cities
- Atlanta: 9 h 55 min
- Washington, DC: 9 h 26 min
- Cincinnati: 9 h 25 min
- Nashville: 9 h 42 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).