1

When is sunrise and sunset in Washington, D.C. today?

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

Dawn & Sunrise
Today's Sunrise in Washington, D.C.
06:57 AM
Civil Dawn: 06:31 AM

Horizon 77° ENE

Sunset & Dusk
Today's Sunset in Washington, D.C.
07:04 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 Washington, D.C.

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 Washington, D.C. — 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 Washington, D.C. in 2026.

Daylight (54.9% of 24h) 13h 10m day / 10h 50m night
Today
Vs yesterday
Night length
Vs longest day (June solstice (northern summer)) −1h 44m Jun 18, 2026 · 14h 54m 0s
Vs shortest day (December solstice (northern winter)) +3h 44m Dec 18, 2026 · 9h 26m 0s
Earliest sunrise05:42 AMJun 9, 2026
Latest sunrise07:33 AMOct 31, 2026
Earliest sunset04:45 PMDec 3, 2026
Latest sunset08:37 PMJun 22, 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 Washington, D.C..

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 Washington, D.C.?

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 Washington, D.C..

Washington, D.C. day length through 2026

The curve peaks near the june solstice (northern summer) (Jun 18, 2026, 14h 54m 0s) and bottoms out near the december solstice (northern winter) (Dec 18, 2026, 9h 26m 0s). Today is marked on the line.

JFMAMJJASOND Long Short
Full Month Sun Calendar

Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. in America/New_York. 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 106:37 AM79° ENE07:40 PM281° W13h 3m 0s—01:08 PM06:09 AM08:07 PM05:37 AM08:40 PM05:03 AM09:13 PM06:20 AM – 07:12 AM07:04 PM – 07:56 PM05:59 AM – 06:20 AM07:56 PM – 08:18 PM
Wed, Sep 206:38 AM79° E07:38 PM281° W13h 0m 0s−3m 0s01:08 PM06:10 AM08:06 PM05:38 AM08:38 PM05:04 AM09:12 PM06:21 AM – 07:13 AM07:03 PM – 07:55 PM06:00 AM – 06:21 AM07:55 PM – 08:16 PM
Thu, Sep 306:38 AM80° E07:37 PM280° W12h 59m 0s−1m 0s01:07 PM06:11 AM08:04 PM05:39 AM08:36 PM05:05 AM09:10 PM06:22 AM – 07:14 AM07:01 PM – 07:53 PM06:01 AM – 06:22 AM07:53 PM – 08:15 PM
Fri, Sep 406:39 AM80° E07:35 PM280° W12h 56m 0s−3m 0s01:07 PM06:12 AM08:02 PM05:40 AM08:35 PM05:06 AM09:08 PM06:23 AM – 07:15 AM07:00 PM – 07:52 PM06:02 AM – 06:23 AM07:52 PM – 08:13 PM
Sat, Sep 506:40 AM81° E07:34 PM279° W12h 54m 0s−2m 0s01:07 PM06:13 AM08:01 PM05:41 AM08:33 PM05:08 AM09:06 PM06:24 AM – 07:16 AM06:58 PM – 07:50 PM06:03 AM – 06:24 AM07:50 PM – 08:11 PM
Sun, Sep 606:41 AM81° E07:32 PM279° W12h 51m 0s−3m 0s01:06 PM06:14 AM07:59 PM05:42 AM08:31 PM05:09 AM09:04 PM06:25 AM – 07:17 AM06:57 PM – 07:49 PM06:03 AM – 06:25 AM07:49 PM – 08:10 PM
Mon, Sep 706:42 AM82° E07:31 PM278° W12h 49m 0s−2m 0s01:06 PM06:15 AM07:58 PM05:43 AM08:30 PM05:10 AM09:03 PM06:26 AM – 07:17 AM06:55 PM – 07:47 PM06:04 AM – 06:26 AM07:47 PM – 08:08 PM
Tue, Sep 806:43 AM82° E07:29 PM278° W12h 46m 0s−3m 0s01:06 PM06:16 AM07:56 PM05:44 AM08:28 PM05:11 AM09:01 PM06:26 AM – 07:18 AM06:54 PM – 07:46 PM06:05 AM – 06:26 AM07:46 PM – 08:07 PM
Wed, Sep 906:44 AM83° E07:27 PM277° W12h 43m 0s−3m 0s01:05 PM06:17 AM07:54 PM05:45 AM08:26 PM05:12 AM08:59 PM06:27 AM – 07:19 AM06:52 PM – 07:44 PM06:06 AM – 06:27 AM07:44 PM – 08:05 PM
Thu, Sep 1006:45 AM83° E07:26 PM277° W12h 41m 0s−2m 0s01:05 PM06:18 AM07:53 PM05:46 AM08:25 PM05:13 AM08:57 PM06:28 AM – 07:20 AM06:51 PM – 07:42 PM06:07 AM – 06:28 AM07:42 PM – 08:03 PM
Fri, Sep 1106:46 AM84° E07:24 PM276° W12h 38m 0s−3m 0s01:05 PM06:19 AM07:51 PM05:47 AM08:23 PM05:14 AM08:56 PM06:29 AM – 07:21 AM06:49 PM – 07:41 PM06:08 AM – 06:29 AM07:41 PM – 08:02 PM
Sat, Sep 1206:47 AM84° E07:23 PM276° W12h 36m 0s−2m 0s01:05 PM06:20 AM07:50 PM05:48 AM08:21 PM05:16 AM08:54 PM06:30 AM – 07:22 AM06:48 PM – 07:39 PM06:09 AM – 06:30 AM07:39 PM – 08:00 PM
Sun, Sep 1306:47 AM84° E07:21 PM275° W12h 34m 0s−2m 0s01:04 PM06:21 AM07:48 PM05:49 AM08:20 PM05:17 AM08:52 PM06:31 AM – 07:23 AM06:46 PM – 07:38 PM06:10 AM – 06:31 AM07:38 PM – 07:58 PM
Mon, Sep 1406:48 AM85° E07:20 PM275° W12h 32m 0s−2m 0s01:04 PM06:22 AM07:46 PM05:50 AM08:18 PM05:18 AM08:50 PM06:32 AM – 07:24 AM06:44 PM – 07:36 PM06:11 AM – 06:32 AM07:36 PM – 07:57 PM
Tue, Sep 1506:49 AM85° E07:18 PM274° W12h 29m 0s−3m 0s01:03 PM06:23 AM07:45 PM05:51 AM08:16 PM05:19 AM08:48 PM06:33 AM – 07:24 AM06:43 PM – 07:34 PM06:12 AM – 06:33 AM07:34 PM – 07:55 PM
Wed, Sep 1606:50 AM86° E07:16 PM274° W12h 26m 0s−3m 0s01:03 PM06:23 AM07:43 PM05:52 AM08:14 PM05:20 AM08:47 PM06:34 AM – 07:25 AM06:41 PM – 07:33 PM06:13 AM – 06:34 AM07:33 PM – 07:53 PM
Thu, Sep 1706:51 AM86° E07:15 PM273° W12h 24m 0s−2m 0s01:03 PM06:24 AM07:41 PM05:53 AM08:13 PM05:21 AM08:45 PM06:35 AM – 07:26 AM06:40 PM – 07:31 PM06:14 AM – 06:35 AM07:31 PM – 07:52 PM
Fri, Sep 1806:52 AM87° E07:13 PM273° W12h 21m 0s−3m 0s01:02 PM06:25 AM07:40 PM05:54 AM08:11 PM05:22 AM08:43 PM06:36 AM – 07:27 AM06:38 PM – 07:29 PM06:15 AM – 06:36 AM07:29 PM – 07:50 PM
Sat, Sep 1906:53 AM87° E07:12 PM272° W12h 19m 0s−2m 0s01:02 PM06:26 AM07:38 PM05:55 AM08:09 PM05:23 AM08:41 PM06:37 AM – 07:28 AM06:36 PM – 07:28 PM06:16 AM – 06:37 AM07:28 PM – 07:49 PM
Sun, Sep 2006:54 AM88° E07:10 PM272° W12h 16m 0s−3m 0s01:02 PM06:27 AM07:37 PM05:56 AM08:08 PM05:24 AM08:40 PM06:37 AM – 07:29 AM06:35 PM – 07:26 PM06:17 AM – 06:37 AM07:26 PM – 07:47 PM
Mon, Sep 2106:55 AM89° E07:08 PM271° W12h 13m 0s−3m 0s01:01 PM06:28 AM07:35 PM05:57 AM08:06 PM05:25 AM08:38 PM06:38 AM – 07:30 AM06:33 PM – 07:25 PM06:18 AM – 06:38 AM07:25 PM – 07:45 PM
Tue, Sep 2206:56 AM89° E07:07 PM271° W12h 11m 0s−2m 0s01:01 PM06:29 AM07:33 PM05:58 AM08:04 PM05:26 AM08:36 PM06:39 AM – 07:31 AM06:32 PM – 07:23 PM06:19 AM – 06:39 AM07:23 PM – 07:44 PM
Wed, Sep 2306:57 AM90° E07:05 PM270° W12h 8m 0s−3m 0s01:01 PM06:30 AM07:32 PM05:59 AM08:03 PM05:27 AM08:34 PM06:40 AM – 07:32 AM06:30 PM – 07:21 PM06:20 AM – 06:40 AM07:21 PM – 07:42 PM
Thu, Sep 24 Today06:57 AM90° E07:04 PM270° W12h 7m 0s−1m 0s01:00 PM06:31 AM07:30 PM06:00 AM08:01 PM05:28 AM08:33 PM06:41 AM – 07:33 AM06:28 PM – 07:20 PM06:21 AM – 06:41 AM07:20 PM – 07:40 PM
Fri, Sep 2506:58 AM90° E07:02 PM269° W12h 4m 0s−3m 0s01:00 PM06:32 AM07:28 PM06:01 AM08:00 PM05:29 AM08:31 PM06:42 AM – 07:34 AM06:27 PM – 07:18 PM06:21 AM – 06:42 AM07:18 PM – 07:39 PM
Sat, Sep 2606:59 AM91° E07:00 PM269° W12h 1m 0s−3m 0s12:59 PM06:33 AM07:27 PM06:02 AM07:58 PM05:30 AM08:29 PM06:43 AM – 07:34 AM06:25 PM – 07:17 PM06:22 AM – 06:43 AM07:17 PM – 07:37 PM
Sun, Sep 2707:00 AM91° E06:59 PM268° W11h 59m 0s−2m 0s12:59 PM06:34 AM07:25 PM06:03 AM07:56 PM05:31 AM08:28 PM06:44 AM – 07:35 AM06:23 PM – 07:15 PM06:23 AM – 06:44 AM07:15 PM – 07:36 PM
Mon, Sep 2807:01 AM92° E06:57 PM268° W11h 56m 0s−3m 0s12:59 PM06:35 AM07:24 PM06:04 AM07:55 PM05:32 AM08:26 PM06:45 AM – 07:36 AM06:22 PM – 07:13 PM06:24 AM – 06:45 AM07:13 PM – 07:34 PM
Tue, Sep 2907:02 AM92° E06:56 PM267° W11h 54m 0s−2m 0s12:59 PM06:35 AM07:22 PM06:04 AM07:53 PM05:33 AM08:24 PM06:46 AM – 07:37 AM06:20 PM – 07:12 PM06:25 AM – 06:46 AM07:12 PM – 07:32 PM
Wed, Sep 3007:03 AM93° E06:54 PM267° W11h 51m 0s−3m 0s12:58 PM06:36 AM07:20 PM06:05 AM07:51 PM05:34 AM08:23 PM06:47 AM – 07:38 AM06:19 PM – 07:10 PM06:26 AM – 06:47 AM07:10 PM – 07:31 PM

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

Hourly sun altitude in Washington, D.C.

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/New_York for 2026-08-29.

Local timeAltitudeAzimuthSky
00:00-38.7°337.7°Night
01:00-41.3°356.8°Night
02:00-40.0°16.2°Night
03:00-35.1°33.9°Night
04:00-27.6°49.0°Night
05:00-18.0°61.2°Night
06:00-7.4°71.8°Nautical twilight
07:00+4.0°81.3°Golden hour
08:00+15.6°90.6°Daylight
09:00+27.2°100.5°Daylight
10:00+38.4°112.1°Daylight
11:00+48.5°127.1°Daylight
12:00+56.5°147.8°Daylight
13:00+60.2°175.3°Daylight
14:00+58.2°204.2°Daylight
15:00+51.3°227.1°Daylight
16:00+41.7°243.6°Daylight
17:00+30.7°256.0°Daylight
18:00+19.2°266.3°Daylight
19:00+7.5°275.7°Daylight
20:00-4.0°285.0°Civil twilight
21:00-15.0°295.1°Astronomical twilight
22:00-25.0°306.8°Night
23:00-33.4°320.8°Night

Washington, D.C. Sunrise & Sunset by Month (2026)

This table shows the sunrise, sunset, and day length in Washington, D.C. 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 107:26 AM04:56 PM9h 30m 0s
February 107:14 AM05:28 PM10h 14m 0s
March 106:40 AM05:59 PM11h 19m 0s
April 106:52 AM07:30 PM12h 38m 0s
May 106:10 AM07:59 PM13h 49m 0s
June 105:45 AM08:27 PM14h 42m 0s
July 105:46 AM08:37 PM14h 51m 0s
August 106:08 AM08:20 PM14h 12m 0s
September 106:37 AM07:40 PM13h 3m 0s
October 107:04 AM06:52 PM11h 48m 0s
November 106:35 AM05:08 PM10h 33m 0s
December 107:07 AM04:46 PM9h 39m 0s
7

Why is Washington, D.C. special?

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

Latitude38.9072°
Longitude-77.0369°
TimezoneAmerica/New_York
Elevation72m

Solar facts

  • 1Top sunrise and sunset spots in Washington, D.C.: Lincoln Memorial, Tidal Basin, Key Bridge.
  • 2Washington, D.C. sunrise and sunset times are calculated for latitude 38.9072° and longitude -77.0369°.
  • 3Local solar times in Washington, D.C. use the America/New_York timezone.
  • 4Day length in Washington, D.C., District of Columbia changes through the year with Earth's axial tilt and seasonal solar angle.

Daylight Saving Time

Washington, D.C. 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. Washington, D.C. sits at -77.0369°.

Check sunrise and sunset times in Washington, D.C., United States today — plus day length, solar noon, golden hour, blue hour, and twilight at 38.9072°, -77.0369° (America/New_York). Popular places to watch the sun include Lincoln Memorial, Tidal Basin, Key Bridge. Browse the full-month sun calendar for day-by-day planning.

Plan beyond sunrise

Solar Tools for Washington, D.C.

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

Washington, D.C. Sunrise & Sunset FAQ

Sunrise in Washington, D.C. is calculated daily from its coordinates (38.9072°, -77.0369°) and the America/New_York timezone using NOAA/Meeus solar algorithms.
Sunset in Washington, D.C. updates daily on this page. Check the solar cards above for the exact local sunset time and day length.
Popular sunrise and sunset viewpoints in Washington, D.C. include Lincoln Memorial, Tidal Basin, Key Bridge, and Rock Creek Park. Open the Popular Places to See Sunrise & Sunset guide for timing tips at each spot, and check today's solar times to plan golden hour and blue hour.
Sunrise and sunset in Washington, D.C. are calculated daily from its coordinates and the America/New_York 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 Washington, D.C.. Face that compass bearing from an open viewpoint — sunrise is rarely due east, and sunset is rarely due west.
Evening golden hour in Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. is Jun 18, 2026 with 14h 54m 0s of daylight, and the shortest is Dec 18, 2026 with 9h 26m 0s.
In 2026, the earliest sunrise in Washington, D.C. is 05:42 AM on Jun 9, 2026. The latest sunset is 08:37 PM on Jun 22, 2026. The latest sunrise is 07:33 AM on Oct 31, 2026, and the earliest sunset is 04:45 PM on Dec 3, 2026. These clock-time extremes often miss the solstice by a few days because of the Equation of Time.
Yes, Washington, D.C. shifts its clocks for Daylight Saving Time, which changes sunrise and sunset by one hour on the local clock during part of the year.

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New York

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Chicago

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

Los Angeles

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