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Sunset time in Chicago

In Chicago the sun sets as early as 4:19 PM (December 8) and as late as 8:29 PM (June 27). Here is today’s sunset with the golden hour before it and the blue hour after it, then the sunset time for every month of 2026.

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Next 7 days in Chicago

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Sunset in Chicago through the year

The longest day of 2026 is June 21, with 15 h 14 min between sunrise and sunset; the shortest is December 21, with 9 h 8 min. The earliest sunset around midwinter (December 8, 4:19 PM) comes 13 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.

Sunset in Chicago on the 15th of each month, 2026, local time including daylight saving time.
DateGolden hour startsSunsetDarkDay length
Jan 154:01 PM4:44 PM5:15 PM9 h 29 min
Feb 154:44 PM5:23 PM5:52 PM10 h 38 min
Mar 156:20 PM6:57 PM7:24 PM11 h 55 min
Apr 156:54 PM7:31 PM8:00 PM13 h 22 min
May 157:24 PM8:04 PM8:36 PM14 h 34 min
Jun 157:45 PM8:27 PM9:01 PM15 h 13 min
Jul 157:42 PM8:23 PM8:57 PM14 h 55 min
Aug 157:12 PM7:50 PM8:20 PM13 h 52 min
Sep 156:23 PM6:59 PM7:27 PM12 h 29 min
Oct 155:30 PM6:08 PM6:36 PM11 h 6 min
Nov 153:47 PM4:29 PM4:59 PM9 h 49 min
Dec 153:35 PM4:20 PM4:51 PM9 h 9 min

Golden hour and blue hour in Chicago

The evening golden hour in Chicago lasts about 37 minutes around the March and September equinoxes, 42 minutes in late June and 45 minutes in late December. The blue hour after sunset lasts about 28, 34 and 32 minutes at those same times of year. Head out about 35 minutes before sunset to catch both.

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

Evening windows in Chicago on the 15th of each month, 2026, flat horizon. Golden hour: sun 6° above the horizon to sunset. Film magic hour: sunset to 6° below (civil twilight). Blue hour: 4° to 6° below (PhotoPills definition).
DateGolden hourFilm magic hourBlue hour
Jan 1543 min31 min12 min
Feb 1539 min29 min11 min
Mar 1537 min28 min11 min
Apr 1537 min29 min11 min
May 1540 min32 min13 min
Jun 1542 min34 min14 min
Jul 1541 min33 min13 min
Aug 1538 min30 min12 min
Sep 1537 min28 min11 min
Oct 1538 min28 min11 min
Nov 1542 min30 min11 min
Dec 1545 min32 min12 min

Chicago lies at 41.9° 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 37 minutes in March to 45 minutes in December, against 27 to 30 minutes all year at the equator.

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

Where to watch the sunset in Chicago

Lake Michigan lies east of the city, so for sunset you look back at the skyline: the lakefront near the Adler Planetarium and Northerly Island has the whole downtown silhouetted against the western sky.

How these times are calculated

Times are computed for Chicago (41.88° N, 87.63° 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.

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