2026 findings: the earliest sunset is not the shortest day
Original analysis by Earliest Sunset, computed for 311 U.S. places (295 in the lower 48 plus DC). Free to cite with a link back.
Earliest clock-time sunsets in the lower 48
| Place | State | Earliest sunset | Date | Latest sunrise | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caribou | ME | 3:43 pm | Dec 10 | 7:17 am | Jan 1 |
| Bangor | ME | 3:54 pm | Dec 9 | 7:13 am | Jan 2 |
| Spokane | WA | 3:58 pm | Dec 10 | 7:38 am | Jan 1 |
| Augusta (Maine) | ME | 4:00 pm | Dec 9 | 7:15 am | Jan 2 |
| Lewiston | ID | 4:01 pm | Dec 10 | 7:31 am | Jan 1 |
| Dickinson | ND | 4:03 pm | Dec 10 | 7:36 am | Jan 1 |
| Portland (Maine) | ME | 4:04 pm | Dec 9 | 7:15 am | Jan 3 |
| Mount Washington | NH | 4:06 pm | Dec 9 | 7:21 am | Jan 2 |
| Concord | NH | 4:11 pm | Dec 9 | 7:18 am | Jan 3 |
| Manchester | NH | 4:11 pm | Dec 9 | 7:17 am | Jan 3 |
Mildest winter sunsets in the lower 48 (latest “earliest sunset”)
Southern places have mild winter sunsets:
| Place | State | Earliest sunset | Date | Latest sunrise | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Del Rio | TX | 5:45 pm | Dec 2 | 7:39 am | Jan 10 |
| Midland-Odessa | TX | 5:44 pm | Dec 3 | 7:50 am | Jan 9 |
| Lubbock | TX | 5:39 pm | Dec 4 | 7:53 am | Jan 8 |
| San Angelo | TX | 5:39 pm | Dec 3 | 7:42 am | Jan 9 |
| Alice | TX | 5:37 pm | Dec 1 | 7:24 am | Jan 11 |
| Tallahassee | FL | 5:36 pm | Dec 2 | 7:35 am | Jan 10 |
| San Antonio | TX | 5:35 pm | Dec 2 | 7:30 am | Jan 10 |
| Amarillo | TX | 5:34 pm | Dec 5 | 7:56 am | Jan 7 |
| Columbus (Georgia) | GA | 5:34 pm | Dec 3 | 7:42 am | Jan 8 |
| Corpus Christi | TX | 5:34 pm | Dec 1 | 7:22 am | Jan 11 |
Why this happens
The winter solstice (Dec 21, 2026 in the U.S.) is the day with the least daylight, but sunset and sunrise times also depend on solar noon, the moment the sun is highest, which does not stay at the same clock time all year. Because Earth’s orbit is an ellipse and its axis is tilted, solar noon drifts later on the clock by roughly 26 to 30 seconds per day through most of December (we computed 26 s/day on Dec 7 and 30 s/day on Dec 21). Near the solstice the day length itself barely changes (a few seconds per day), so that daily drift dominates: sunsets stop getting earlier in early December, sunrises keep getting later until early January. The effect is bigger at higher latitudes.
When the clocks change
Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 am on Sunday, Nov 1, 2026, and the sun sets about an hour (61 to 64 minutes) earlier on the clock on Nov 1 than on Oct 31 in the places that observe it. 5 places in our list (Arizona) are in time zones that do not change. See clock change dates.
Method and limits: methodology. Each place uses one coordinate (usually an airport weather station); results for other spots in the same city can differ by a few minutes.