Sunset time in Austin

Sunset in Austin through the year

The longest day of 2026 is June 21, with 14 h 6 min between sunrise and sunset; the shortest is December 21, with 10 h 12 min. The earliest sunset around midwinter (December 2, 5:30 PM) comes 19 days before the shortest day (December 21): from then on sunsets get later even though the days are still getting shorter, because sunrise is getting later even faster. In 2026 clocks go forward on March 8 and back on November 1; sunset jumps an hour later when clocks go forward and an hour earlier when they go back.

Golden hour and blue hour in Austin

The evening golden hour in Austin lasts about 32 minutes around the March and September equinoxes, 35 minutes in late June and 36 minutes in late December. The blue hour after sunset lasts about 24, 28 and 26 minutes at those same times of year. Head out about 30 minutes before sunset to catch both.

How long the evening light lasts in Austin, month by month

Austin lies at 30.3° N, and the further a place is from the equator the more slowly the sun sinks at sunset, so the evening golden hour here runs from 32 minutes in March to 36 minutes in December, against 27 to 30 minutes all year at the equator.

How long is golden hour in Austin? has the same numbers with answers to the common questions.

Where to watch the sunset in Austin

Mount Bonnell and the overlook above the Pennybacker Bridge look west over the Colorado River. From about March to October the bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge fly out around dusk, right in the blue hour.

How these times are calculated

Times are computed for Austin (30.27° N, 97.74° W) with the NOAA solar-position algorithm, for a flat horizon, in local time (America/Chicago). They are usually within a minute of published tables. Hills, buildings and weather can hide the sun a few minutes earlier than shown.