1

When is sunrise and sunset in Chicago today?

Live countdown to the next event, plus today’s exact clocks in America/Chicago.

Dawn & Sunrise
Today's Sunrise in Chicago
06:39 AM
Civil Dawn: 06:11 AM

Horizon 77° ENE

Sunset & Dusk
Today's Sunset in Chicago
06:48 PM
Civil Dusk:

Horizon 283° WNW

Next Event Countdown
Next sunrise or sunset
Live after load
Day Length:
7-Day Outlook

Next 7 Days Sunrise & Sunset Forecast for Chicago

Automatic daily forecast calculated for this location. Times update with your selected date.

Date Sunrise Sunset Solar Noon Day Length Golden Hour (Eve)
2

Where on the horizon?

Sunrise and sunset compass bearings for Chicago — face these degrees, not “due east” or “due west.”

N E S W
Sunrise Sunset
Sunrise azimuth 77° ENE Face ENE at dawn
Sunset azimuth 283° WNW Face WNW at dusk

Azimuth is degrees clockwise from true north (0°). Today the disk clears the horizon at 77° ENE and drops at 283° WNW. Use that heading to pick a rail, pier, or hill that actually sees the Sun — then jump to where to stand.

3

How long is the day?

Today versus yesterday, solstice extremes, and the earliest/latest clock times for Chicago in 2026.

Daylight (55.3% of 24h) 13h 17m day / 10h 43m night
Today
Vs yesterday
Night length
Vs longest day (June solstice (northern summer)) −1h 57m Jun 21, 2026 · 15h 14m 0s
Vs shortest day (December solstice (northern winter)) +4h 10m Dec 21, 2026 · 9h 7m 0s
Earliest sunrise05:15 AMJun 8, 2026
Latest sunrise07:21 AMOct 31, 2026
Earliest sunset04:19 PMDec 3, 2026
Latest sunset08:29 PMJun 21, 2026

Clock-time extremes often miss the solstice by a few days because of the Equation of Time — earliest sunrise is not always the longest day.

4

When is golden hour and blue hour?

Photography windows when the Sun sits between +6° and −8° for Chicago.

Golden hour

Morning
Evening

Warm, low light — arrive at the start of the evening window, not at sunset.

Blue hour

Morning
Evening

Indigo sky after sunset (or before sunrise). Pair with city lights or water.

Need the physics and camera settings? Open the Golden Hour and Blue Hour tools.

5

Where should I stand in Chicago?

Public viewpoints aimed at today’s sunrise (ENE) and sunset (WNW) bearings.

6

What about this month and this year?

A year-long day-length curve, then the day-by-day sun calendar (azimuth, twilight, golden/blue hour) and monthly snapshot for Chicago.

Chicago day length through 2026

The curve peaks near the june solstice (northern summer) (Jun 21, 2026, 15h 14m 0s) and bottoms out near the december solstice (northern winter) (Dec 21, 2026, 9h 7m 0s). Today is marked on the line.

JFMAMJJASOND Long Short
Full Month Sun Calendar

Chicago Sun Times — September 2026

Day-by-day sunrise, sunset, compass azimuth, day-length change, civil/nautical/astronomical twilight, golden hour, blue hour, and solar noon for Chicago in America/Chicago. Times use NOAA/Meeus algorithms with standard atmospheric refraction (zenith 90.833°). Scroll sideways for photography and twilight columns, or use the arrows to browse other months.

Date Sunrise Sunset Day Length Diff Solar Noon Civil Nautical Astronomical Golden hour Blue hour
Time Azimuth Time Azimuth Dawn Dusk Dawn Dusk Dawn Dusk Morning Evening Morning Evening
Tue, Sep 106:16 AM78° ENE07:25 PM282° WNW13h 9m 0s—12:50 PM05:47 AM07:54 PM05:13 AM08:28 PM04:37 AM09:04 PM05:58 AM – 06:53 AM06:48 PM – 07:43 PM05:36 AM – 05:58 AM07:43 PM – 08:05 PM
Wed, Sep 206:17 AM79° ENE07:24 PM281° WNW13h 7m 0s−2m 0s12:50 PM05:48 AM07:52 PM05:14 AM08:27 PM04:38 AM09:02 PM05:59 AM – 06:54 AM06:47 PM – 07:41 PM05:37 AM – 05:59 AM07:41 PM – 08:04 PM
Thu, Sep 306:18 AM79° E07:22 PM281° W13h 4m 0s−3m 0s12:50 PM05:49 AM07:51 PM05:15 AM08:25 PM04:40 AM09:00 PM06:00 AM – 06:55 AM06:45 PM – 07:40 PM05:38 AM – 06:00 AM07:40 PM – 08:02 PM
Fri, Sep 406:19 AM80° E07:20 PM280° W13h 1m 0s−3m 0s12:49 PM05:50 AM07:49 PM05:16 AM08:23 PM04:41 AM08:58 PM06:02 AM – 06:56 AM06:43 PM – 07:38 PM05:39 AM – 06:02 AM07:38 PM – 08:00 PM
Sat, Sep 506:20 AM80° E07:19 PM280° W12h 59m 0s−2m 0s12:49 PM05:52 AM07:47 PM05:18 AM08:21 PM04:42 AM08:56 PM06:03 AM – 06:57 AM06:42 PM – 07:36 PM05:40 AM – 06:03 AM07:36 PM – 07:58 PM
Sun, Sep 606:21 AM81° E07:17 PM279° W12h 56m 0s−3m 0s12:49 PM05:53 AM07:45 PM05:19 AM08:19 PM04:44 AM08:54 PM06:04 AM – 06:58 AM06:40 PM – 07:34 PM05:41 AM – 06:04 AM07:34 PM – 07:57 PM
Mon, Sep 706:22 AM81° E07:15 PM279° W12h 53m 0s−3m 0s12:48 PM05:54 AM07:44 PM05:20 AM08:17 PM04:45 AM08:52 PM06:05 AM – 06:59 AM06:38 PM – 07:33 PM05:43 AM – 06:05 AM07:33 PM – 07:55 PM
Tue, Sep 806:23 AM82° E07:14 PM278° W12h 51m 0s−2m 0s12:48 PM05:55 AM07:42 PM05:21 AM08:16 PM04:46 AM08:50 PM06:06 AM – 07:00 AM06:37 PM – 07:31 PM05:44 AM – 06:06 AM07:31 PM – 07:53 PM
Wed, Sep 906:24 AM82° E07:12 PM278° W12h 48m 0s−3m 0s12:48 PM05:56 AM07:40 PM05:22 AM08:14 PM04:48 AM08:48 PM06:07 AM – 07:01 AM06:35 PM – 07:29 PM05:45 AM – 06:07 AM07:29 PM – 07:51 PM
Thu, Sep 1006:25 AM83° E07:10 PM277° W12h 45m 0s−3m 0s12:47 PM05:57 AM07:38 PM05:24 AM08:12 PM04:49 AM08:46 PM06:08 AM – 07:02 AM06:33 PM – 07:27 PM05:46 AM – 06:08 AM07:27 PM – 07:49 PM
Fri, Sep 1106:26 AM83° E07:09 PM277° W12h 43m 0s−2m 0s12:47 PM05:58 AM07:37 PM05:25 AM08:10 PM04:50 AM08:44 PM06:09 AM – 07:03 AM06:32 PM – 07:26 PM05:47 AM – 06:09 AM07:26 PM – 07:48 PM
Sat, Sep 1206:27 AM84° E07:07 PM276° W12h 40m 0s−3m 0s12:47 PM05:59 AM07:35 PM05:26 AM08:08 PM04:52 AM08:43 PM06:10 AM – 07:04 AM06:30 PM – 07:24 PM05:48 AM – 06:10 AM07:24 PM – 07:46 PM
Sun, Sep 1306:28 AM84° E07:05 PM276° W12h 37m 0s−3m 0s12:46 PM06:00 AM07:33 PM05:27 AM08:06 PM04:53 AM08:41 PM06:11 AM – 07:05 AM06:28 PM – 07:22 PM05:49 AM – 06:11 AM07:22 PM – 07:44 PM
Mon, Sep 1406:29 AM85° E07:03 PM275° W12h 34m 0s−3m 0s12:46 PM06:01 AM07:31 PM05:28 AM08:04 PM04:54 AM08:39 PM06:12 AM – 07:06 AM06:27 PM – 07:20 PM05:50 AM – 06:12 AM07:20 PM – 07:42 PM
Tue, Sep 1506:30 AM85° E07:02 PM275° W12h 32m 0s−2m 0s12:46 PM06:02 AM07:30 PM05:29 AM08:03 PM04:55 AM08:37 PM06:13 AM – 07:07 AM06:25 PM – 07:19 PM05:51 AM – 06:13 AM07:19 PM – 07:41 PM
Wed, Sep 1606:31 AM86° E07:00 PM274° W12h 29m 0s−3m 0s12:45 PM06:03 AM07:28 PM05:30 AM08:01 PM04:57 AM08:35 PM06:14 AM – 07:08 AM06:23 PM – 07:17 PM05:53 AM – 06:14 AM07:17 PM – 07:39 PM
Thu, Sep 1706:32 AM86° E06:58 PM274° W12h 26m 0s−3m 0s12:45 PM06:05 AM07:26 PM05:32 AM07:59 PM04:58 AM08:33 PM06:15 AM – 07:09 AM06:21 PM – 07:15 PM05:54 AM – 06:15 AM07:15 PM – 07:37 PM
Fri, Sep 1806:33 AM87° E06:56 PM273° W12h 23m 0s−3m 0s12:44 PM06:06 AM07:24 PM05:33 AM07:57 PM04:59 AM08:31 PM06:16 AM – 07:10 AM06:20 PM – 07:13 PM05:55 AM – 06:16 AM07:13 PM – 07:35 PM
Sat, Sep 1906:35 AM87° E06:55 PM273° W12h 20m 0s−3m 0s12:45 PM06:07 AM07:23 PM05:34 AM07:55 PM05:00 AM08:29 PM06:17 AM – 07:11 AM06:18 PM – 07:12 PM05:56 AM – 06:17 AM07:12 PM – 07:33 PM
Sun, Sep 2006:36 AM88° E06:53 PM272° W12h 17m 0s−3m 0s12:44 PM06:08 AM07:21 PM05:35 AM07:54 PM05:02 AM08:27 PM06:19 AM – 07:12 AM06:16 PM – 07:10 PM05:57 AM – 06:19 AM07:10 PM – 07:32 PM
Mon, Sep 2106:37 AM88° E06:51 PM272° W12h 14m 0s−3m 0s12:44 PM06:09 AM07:19 PM05:36 AM07:52 PM05:03 AM08:25 PM06:20 AM – 07:13 AM06:14 PM – 07:08 PM05:58 AM – 06:20 AM07:08 PM – 07:30 PM
Tue, Sep 2206:38 AM89° E06:49 PM271° W12h 11m 0s−3m 0s12:43 PM06:10 AM07:17 PM05:37 AM07:50 PM05:04 AM08:23 PM06:21 AM – 07:14 AM06:13 PM – 07:06 PM05:59 AM – 06:21 AM07:06 PM – 07:28 PM
Wed, Sep 23 Today06:39 AM89° E06:48 PM271° W12h 9m 0s−2m 0s12:43 PM06:11 AM07:15 PM05:38 AM07:48 PM05:05 AM08:21 PM06:22 AM – 07:15 AM06:11 PM – 07:05 PM06:00 AM – 06:22 AM07:05 PM – 07:26 PM
Thu, Sep 2406:40 AM90° E06:46 PM270° W12h 6m 0s−3m 0s12:43 PM06:12 AM07:14 PM05:39 AM07:46 PM05:06 AM08:19 PM06:23 AM – 07:17 AM06:09 PM – 07:03 PM06:01 AM – 06:23 AM07:03 PM – 07:25 PM
Fri, Sep 2506:41 AM90° E06:44 PM269° W12h 3m 0s−3m 0s12:42 PM06:13 AM07:12 PM05:41 AM07:44 PM05:07 AM08:18 PM06:24 AM – 07:18 AM06:07 PM – 07:01 PM06:02 AM – 06:24 AM07:01 PM – 07:23 PM
Sat, Sep 2606:42 AM91° E06:42 PM269° W12h 0m 0s−3m 0s12:42 PM06:14 AM07:10 PM05:42 AM07:43 PM05:09 AM08:16 PM06:25 AM – 07:19 AM06:06 PM – 06:59 PM06:03 AM – 06:25 AM06:59 PM – 07:21 PM
Sun, Sep 2706:43 AM91° E06:41 PM268° W11h 58m 0s−2m 0s12:42 PM06:15 AM07:08 PM05:43 AM07:41 PM05:10 AM08:14 PM06:26 AM – 07:20 AM06:04 PM – 06:58 PM06:04 AM – 06:26 AM06:58 PM – 07:19 PM
Mon, Sep 2806:44 AM92° E06:39 PM268° W11h 55m 0s−3m 0s12:41 PM06:16 AM07:07 PM05:44 AM07:39 PM05:11 AM08:12 PM06:27 AM – 07:21 AM06:02 PM – 06:56 PM06:05 AM – 06:27 AM06:56 PM – 07:18 PM
Tue, Sep 2906:45 AM93° E06:37 PM267° W11h 52m 0s−3m 0s12:41 PM06:17 AM07:05 PM05:45 AM07:37 PM05:12 AM08:10 PM06:28 AM – 07:22 AM06:00 PM – 06:54 PM06:06 AM – 06:28 AM06:54 PM – 07:16 PM
Wed, Sep 3006:46 AM93° E06:36 PM267° W11h 50m 0s−2m 0s12:41 PM06:18 AM07:03 PM05:46 AM07:36 PM05:13 AM08:08 PM06:29 AM – 07:23 AM05:59 PM – 06:53 PM06:08 AM – 06:29 AM06:53 PM – 07:14 PM

Tip: pair this calendar with our Day Length, Twilight, and Golden Hour tools for photography and planning.

Hourly sun altitude in Chicago

Altitude (degrees above the horizon) and azimuth (clockwise from north) at each local clock hour. Negative altitude means the Sun is down. Polar Day stays positive all 24 rows; Polar Night stays negative.

Local clock hours in America/Chicago for 2026-08-29.

Local timeAltitudeAzimuthSky
00:00-37.0°343.8°Night
01:00-38.4°2.5°Night
02:00-36.1°20.9°Night
03:00-30.7°37.4°Night
04:00-22.9°51.5°Night
05:00-13.7°63.8°Astronomical twilight
06:00-3.3°74.5°Golden hour
07:00+7.7°84.4°Daylight
08:00+18.8°94.5°Daylight
09:00+29.8°105.4°Daylight
10:00+40.1°118.4°Daylight
11:00+49.1°135.0°Daylight
12:00+55.4°157.1°Daylight
13:00+57.2°183.8°Daylight
14:00+54.0°209.5°Daylight
15:00+46.8°230.0°Daylight
16:00+37.3°245.4°Daylight
17:00+26.7°257.7°Daylight
18:00+15.7°268.2°Daylight
19:00+4.5°278.1°Golden hour
20:00-6.4°288.2°Nautical twilight
21:00-16.6°299.2°Astronomical twilight
22:00-25.7°311.7°Night
23:00-33.0°326.5°Night

Chicago Sunrise & Sunset by Month (2026)

This table shows the sunrise, sunset, and day length in Chicago on the 1st of every month, computed with the same NOAA/Meeus solar algorithms used across this site. Day length is longest in July and shortest in January.

MonthSunriseSunsetDay Length
January 107:18 AM04:29 PM9h 11m 0s
February 107:03 AM05:04 PM10h 1m 0s
March 106:25 AM05:39 PM11h 14m 0s
April 106:33 AM07:14 PM12h 41m 0s
May 105:47 AM07:48 PM14h 1m 0s
June 105:18 AM08:18 PM15h 0m 0s
July 105:19 AM08:29 PM15h 10m 0s
August 105:43 AM08:09 PM14h 26m 0s
September 106:16 AM07:25 PM13h 9m 0s
October 106:47 AM06:34 PM11h 47m 0s
November 106:22 AM04:45 PM10h 23m 0s
December 106:57 AM04:20 PM9h 23m 0s
7

Why is Chicago special?

Facts, daylight saving, and how Chicago sits in the United States east–west spread.

Latitude41.8781°
Longitude-87.6298°
TimezoneAmerica/Chicago
Elevation182m

Solar facts

  • 1Lake Michigan provides an uninterrupted horizon for eastern sunrise views from Navy Pier and Montrose Harbor.
  • 2Chicagohenge occurs during the spring and autumn equinoxes along the downtown street grid.
  • 3Chicago daylight varies from 15 hours and 14 minutes in summer to 9 hours and 7 minutes in winter.

Daylight Saving Time

Chicago observes Daylight Saving Time. On spring-forward and fall-back weekends, sunrise and sunset jump one hour on the clock even though the Sun has barely moved. Recheck this page after those weekends rather than last week’s memory.

East–west spread

Across United States on this site, the Sun rises first in Boston (06:06 AM, -71.0589°) and last in Honolulu (06:14 AM, -157.8583°). That east–west spread is about 6h 8m. They sit in different time zones, so the true solar delay is about 6h 8m even when local clock times look closer. Chicago sits at -87.6298°.

The Windy City sits on the western shore of Lake Michigan, providing majestic, unobstructed lakefront sunrises over water and crisp urban architecture silhouettes.

Plan beyond sunrise

Solar Tools for Chicago

Sun CalculatorCustom Lat/LngDay LengthTwilightGolden HourBlue HourDawn & DuskSeasonsMidnight SunSunrise SpotsSunset SpotsSolar TourismTourist GuideManhattanhengeSolar Noon
Guides

Sunrise & Sunset Articles About United States

All articles
Why Sunrise in New York Is Not the Same as Los Angeles (US Time Zones Explained) United States & Time Zones
11 min read • August 15, 2026

Why Sunrise in New York Is Not the Same as Los Angeles (US Time Zones Explained)

The United States uses several civil clocks from Maine to Hawaii. Here is why New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and Seattle disagree on sunrise — and why latitude still beats the timezone map in June.

Read Article

Chicago Sunrise & Sunset FAQ

Promontory Point, Museum Campus, and North Avenue Beach offer premier Lake Michigan sunrise panoramas.
Summer sunset in Chicago peaks at 8:30 PM CDT in late June.
Sunrise and sunset in Chicago are calculated daily from its coordinates and the America/Chicago timezone. Check the live solar cards on this page for today’s exact local times, day length, and the countdown to the next event.
Today the sun rises at 77° ENE and sets at 283° WNW in Chicago. Face that compass bearing from an open viewpoint — sunrise is rarely due east, and sunset is rarely due west.
Evening golden hour in Chicago starts about an hour before sunset; evening blue hour follows as the Sun drops below the horizon. Morning windows are listed in the golden hour section on this page.
In 2026, the longest day in Chicago is Jun 21, 2026 with 15h 14m 0s of daylight, and the shortest is Dec 21, 2026 with 9h 7m 0s.
In 2026, the earliest sunrise in Chicago is 05:15 AM on Jun 8, 2026. The latest sunset is 08:29 PM on Jun 21, 2026. The latest sunrise is 07:21 AM on Oct 31, 2026, and the earliest sunset is 04:19 PM on Dec 3, 2026. These clock-time extremes often miss the solstice by a few days because of the Equation of Time.
Yes, Chicago shifts its clocks for Daylight Saving Time, which changes sunrise and sunset by one hour on the local clock during part of the year.

Nearby Cities in United States

New York

United States • New York

New York City, the iconic financial and cultural hub of the United States, experiences clear four-season solar shifts with famous urban solar alignments like "Manhattanhenge" twice every year.

Los Angeles

United States • California

Famous for warm Mediterranean coastal light, Los Angeles offers golden hour glows over palm trees, Santa Monica Pier sunsets, and Griffith Observatory twilight views.

Houston

United States • Texas

Check sunrise and sunset times in Houston, United States today — plus day length, solar noon, golden hour, blue hour, and twilight at 29.7604°, -95.3698° (America/Chicago). Popular places to watch the sun include Buffalo Bayou Park, Eleanor Tinsley Park, Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park. Browse the full-month sun calendar for day-by-day planning.