Daylight Gained

Daylight Gained › Houston

How much daylight has Houston gained since the solstice?

Houston's shortest day this winter is Monday, December 21, with 10 hours, 14 minutes of daylight. By January 31 it has gained 32 minutes. The whole year only swings by 3 hours, 50 minutes between the shortest and longest day.

Hours of daylight over 12 months
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DateDaylightSunriseSunset
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Houston daylight dates, winter 2026–27

Earliest sunsetWednesday, December 2, 5:22 pm
Shortest dayMonday, December 21, 10 h 14 min (sunrise 7:13 am, sunset 5:27 pm)
Latest sunriseSunday, January 10, 7:18 am
First sunset after 6 pmWednesday, February 3 (6:01 pm)
11 hours of daylightWednesday, February 10
12 hours of daylightTuesday, March 16
13 hours of daylightMonday, April 19
14 hours of daylightTuesday, June 8
Longest dayMonday, June 21, 14 h 04 min

The December solstice is at 2:50 pm on December 21, Houston time. With daylight saving time the October 31 sunrise is later on the clock (7:34 am).

Daylight gained in Houston, by date

DateSince solsticeDaylightThat daySunriseSunset
Jan 1+2 min 32 sec10 h 17 min+27 sec7:17 am5:33 pm
Jan 15+13 min10 h 27 min+58 sec7:18 am5:44 pm
Feb 1+34 min10 h 48 min+1 min 25 sec7:11 am5:59 pm
Feb 15+55 min11 h 09 min+1 min 39 sec7:01 am6:10 pm
Mar 1+1 h 19 min11 h 33 min+1 min 46 sec6:47 am6:21 pm
Mar 15+1 h 44 min11 h 58 min+1 min 48 sec7:31 am7:30 pm
Apr 1+2 h 15 min12 h 29 min+1 min 47 sec7:11 am7:40 pm

Houston: questions people ask

Why is the latest sunrise in Houston in October?

Because of daylight saving time. On Saturday, October 31, the last day before the clocks go back, the sun rises at 7:34 am. The next morning it is 6:35 am. On standard time the latest sunrise is 7:18 am on January 10, 17 minutes earlier.

Why does the length of the day change so little in Houston?

Houston is close to the tropics, so its longest day (14 h 04 min) is only 3 hours, 50 minutes longer than its shortest (10 h 14 min). Daily changes stay small too: at most 1 minute, 48 seconds a day, around the March equinox.

Does Houston get more winter daylight than New York?

Yes. Houston's shortest day is 10 h 14 min, 59 minutes longer than New York's (9 h 15 min). Summer is the other way round: on the longest day Houston gets 14 h 04 min, 1 hour, 2 minutes less than New York.

When is the earliest sunset in Houston?

December 2, 2026, at 5:22 pm. That is 19 days before the shortest day, because solar noon drifts later through December. The evenings are already a little lighter by the solstice.

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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).