Sunset time in Chicago
In Chicago the sun sets as early as 4:20 PM (December 9) and as late as 8:31 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.
Calculating for your location…
Next 7 days in Chicago
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 22, with 9 h 8 min. The earliest sunset around midwinter (December 9, 4:20 PM) comes 13 days before the shortest day (December 22): 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.
| Date | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Dark | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15 | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9 h 28 min |
| Feb 15 | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10 h 37 min |
| Mar 15 | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11 h 54 min |
| Apr 15 | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13 h 20 min |
| May 15 | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14 h 33 min |
| Jun 15 | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 15 h 12 min |
| Jul 15 | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14 h 56 min |
| Aug 15 | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13 h 53 min |
| Sep 15 | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12 h 30 min |
| Oct 15 | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11 h 7 min |
| Nov 15 | 3:50 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9 h 50 min |
| Dec 15 | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9 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.
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.