Indianapolis daylight dates, winter 2026–27
| Earliest sunset | Monday, December 7, 5:20 pm |
|---|---|
| Shortest day | Monday, December 21, 9 h 21 min (sunrise 8:02 am, sunset 5:23 pm) |
| Latest sunrise | Monday, January 4, 8:06 am |
| 10 hours of daylight | Wednesday, January 27 |
| First sunset after 6 pm | Friday, January 29 (6:01 pm) |
| 11 hours of daylight | Monday, February 22 |
| 12 hours of daylight | Wednesday, March 17 |
| 13 hours of daylight | Friday, April 9 |
| Longest day | Monday, June 21, 15 h 00 min |
The December solstice is at 3:50 pm on December 21, Indianapolis time. With daylight saving time the October 31 sunrise is later on the clock (8:12 am).
Daylight gained in Indianapolis, by date
| Date | Since solstice | Daylight | That day | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +3 min 49 sec | 9 h 25 min | +40 sec | 8:06 am | 5:31 pm |
| Jan 15 | +19 min | 9 h 40 min | +1 min 27 sec | 8:04 am | 5:44 pm |
| Feb 1 | +50 min | 10 h 11 min | +2 min 7 sec | 7:53 am | 6:04 pm |
| Feb 15 | +1 h 22 min | 10 h 43 min | +2 min 25 sec | 7:37 am | 6:21 pm |
| Mar 1 | +1 h 57 min | 11 h 19 min | +2 min 34 sec | 7:18 am | 6:37 pm |
| Mar 15 | +2 h 34 min | 11 h 55 min | +2 min 38 sec | 7:56 am | 7:51 pm |
| Apr 1 | +3 h 19 min | 12 h 40 min | +2 min 36 sec | 7:29 am | 8:09 pm |
Indianapolis: questions people ask
Why does the sun rise so late in Indianapolis in winter?
Indianapolis's clocks run ahead of the sun: on the shortest day the sun is highest at 12:43 pm, not at noon. So the morning gets less of the daylight, and the latest sunrise is 8:06 am on Monday, January 4.
When is the earliest sunset in Indianapolis?
December 7, 2026, at 5:20 pm. That is 14 days before the shortest day, because solar noon drifts later through December. The evenings are already a little lighter by the solstice.
When does Indianapolis gain daylight fastest?
Around the March equinox, when it gains 2 minutes, 38 seconds a day (fastest on March 19). Right after the solstice the gain is small: 40 seconds a day on January 1, and 2 minutes, 7 seconds a day by February 1.
When do the clocks go forward in Indianapolis, and what happens to sunset?
On Sunday, March 14, 2027. Sunset jumps from 6:49 pm the day before to 7:50 pm, and sunrise from 6:59 am to 7:58 am. The day itself is about 2 minutes, 38 seconds longer.
Shortest day in nearby cities
- Cincinnati: 9 h 25 min
- Chicago: 9 h 08 min
- Columbus: 9 h 20 min
- Toledo: 9 h 09 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).