Sunset time in Philadelphia

Sunset in Philadelphia through the year

The longest day of 2026 is June 21, with 15 h 1 min between sunrise and sunset; the shortest is December 21, with 9 h 20 min. The earliest sunset around midwinter (December 7, 4:35 PM) comes 14 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 Philadelphia

The evening golden hour in Philadelphia lasts about 36 minutes around the March and September equinoxes, 41 minutes in late June and 43 minutes in late December. The blue hour after sunset lasts about 27, 33 and 31 minutes at those same times of year. Head out about 35 minutes before sunset to catch both.

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

Philadelphia lies at 40.0° 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 36 minutes in March to 43 minutes in December, against 27 to 30 minutes all year at the equator.

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

Where to watch the sunset in Philadelphia

The Schuylkill River is the evening spot: Boathouse Row turns its outline lights on at dusk, and Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park looks back at the skyline.

How these times are calculated

Times are computed for Philadelphia (39.95° N, 75.17° W) with the NOAA solar-position algorithm, for a flat horizon, in local time (America/New York). They are usually within a minute of published tables. Hills, buildings and weather can hide the sun a few minutes earlier than shown.