Calculated sunrise, sunset, golden hour and blue hour times for Chicago, IL. Select a date to view the calculated light times.
The month-by-month table below is in this city's own local time. The live times above follow your device's timezone. Mountains, ridgelines and buildings can shorten the usable window — scout your horizon.
Terrain, buildings and weather can affect visible light. Check the horizon and conditions at the selected location.
In Chicago, sunset ranges from 4:19 PM in December to 8:29 PM in June. Evening golden hour lasts about 42 minutes at the summer solstice and 45 minutes at the winter solstice. Times below are local to Chicago (America/Chicago).
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour (evening) | Length | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:15 AM | 4:44 PM | 4:01 PM – 4:44 PM | 43 min | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 5:23 PM | 4:44 PM – 5:23 PM | 39 min | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 6:57 PM | 6:20 PM – 6:57 PM | 37 min | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 7:31 PM | 6:54 PM – 7:31 PM | 37 min | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 8:04 PM | 7:24 PM – 8:04 PM | 40 min | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 8:27 PM | 7:45 PM – 8:27 PM | 42 min | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 8:23 PM | 7:42 PM – 8:23 PM | 41 min | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 7:50 PM | 7:12 PM – 7:50 PM | 38 min | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:59 PM | 6:23 PM – 6:59 PM | 36 min | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 6:08 PM | 5:31 PM – 6:08 PM | 37 min | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 4:29 PM | 3:47 PM – 4:29 PM | 42 min | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 4:20 PM | 3:35 PM – 4:20 PM | 45 min | 9h 09m |
Golden hour is the period near sunrise and sunset when the sun is low. Blue hour occurs before sunrise and after sunset. Calculated times vary with location and date; weather, terrain and buildings can affect visible light.
Kanyon Studio provides photography and video in San Diego. Location, lighting and scheduling are agreed for each shoot.