Chicago daylight dates, winter 2026–27
| Earliest sunset | Tuesday, December 8, 4:19 pm |
|---|---|
| Shortest day | Monday, December 21, 9 h 08 min (sunrise 7:15 am, sunset 4:23 pm) |
| Latest sunrise | Sunday, January 3, 7:18 am |
| First sunset after 5 pm | Thursday, January 28 (5:01 pm) |
| 10 hours of daylight | Sunday, January 31 |
| 11 hours of daylight | Wednesday, February 24 |
| 12 hours of daylight | Wednesday, March 17 |
| 13 hours of daylight | Thursday, April 8 |
| Longest day | Monday, June 21, 15 h 14 min |
The December solstice is at 2:50 pm on December 21, Chicago time. With daylight saving time the October 31 sunrise is later on the clock (7:22 am).
Daylight gained in Chicago, by date
| Date | Since solstice | Daylight | That day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +4 min 10 sec | 9 h 12 min | +43 sec | 7:18 am | 4:30 pm |
| Jan 15 | +21 min | 9 h 29 min | +1 min 34 sec | 7:16 am | 4:45 pm |
| Feb 1 | +55 min | 10 h 03 min | +2 min 17 sec | 7:03 am | 5:06 pm |
| Feb 15 | +1 h 29 min | 10 h 37 min | +2 min 36 sec | 6:46 am | 5:24 pm |
| Mar 1 | +2 h 07 min | 11 h 15 min | +2 min 46 sec | 6:26 am | 5:41 pm |
| Mar 15 | +2 h 46 min | 11 h 54 min | +2 min 50 sec | 7:03 am | 6:57 pm |
| Apr 1 | +3 h 34 min | 12 h 42 min | +2 min 48 sec | 6:34 am | 7:16 pm |
Chicago: questions people ask
Why does it get dark so early in Chicago?
Chicago's clocks run behind the sun: on the shortest day the sun is highest at 11:49 am, before noon. That pulls sunset earlier. The earliest is 4:19 pm on Tuesday, December 8, and by January 31 sunset is back to 5:04 pm.
Why is the latest sunrise in Chicago in October?
Because of daylight saving time. On Saturday, October 31, the last day before the clocks go back, the sun rises at 7:22 am. The next morning it is 6:23 am. On standard time the latest sunrise is 7:18 am on January 3, 3 minutes earlier.
When do the clocks go forward in Chicago, and what happens to sunset?
On Sunday, March 14, 2027. Sunset jumps from 5:55 pm the day before to 6:56 pm, and sunrise from 6:06 am to 7:04 am. The day itself is about 2 minutes, 50 seconds longer.
When does Chicago gain daylight fastest?
Around the March equinox, when it gains 2 minutes, 50 seconds a day (fastest on March 19). Right after the solstice the gain is small: 43 seconds a day on January 1, and 2 minutes, 17 seconds a day by February 1.
Shortest day in nearby cities
- Milwaukee: 9 h 00 min
- Indianapolis: 9 h 21 min
- Toledo: 9 h 09 min
- Detroit: 9 h 05 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).