Daylight Hours Calculator

You can find your coordinates using Google Maps — right-click on your location and the latitude and longitude will appear at the top of the context menu. Alternatively, search for your city name in most mapping apps or use an online geocoding tool. Latitude ranges from -90 (South Pole) to +90 (North Pole), and longitude ranges from -180 to +180.

Day length changes because the Earth is tilted on its axis at about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. As Earth orbits the Sun, different parts of the planet receive more or less direct sunlight depending on the time of year. This tilt causes the seasons and the variation in daylight hours, with the longest day at the summer solstice and the shortest at the winter solstice.

Civil twilight occurs when the Sun is between 0° and 6° below the horizon — it's bright enough for most outdoor activities without artificial light. Nautical twilight happens when the Sun is 6°–12° below the horizon, used historically for sea navigation as the horizon is still visible. Astronomical twilight is when the Sun is 12°–18° below the horizon; beyond this point the sky is fully dark for stargazing.

Solar noon is the moment when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky for a given location on a given day. It is not always at 12:00 PM clock time — it varies based on your longitude within your time zone and the equation of time (a correction for Earth's elliptical orbit). Solar noon marks the midpoint of the day between sunrise and sunset.

Yes. Locations at high latitudes (above ~66.5°) can experience the Midnight Sun in summer, where the Sun never sets, and Polar Night in winter, where the Sun never rises. Between these extremes, day length changes dramatically — far more than in equatorial regions where days are close to 12 hours year-round.

Daylight Saving Time (DST) shifts the clock forward by 1 hour, so sunrise and sunset both appear to happen one hour later on your clock compared to standard time. The calculator includes a DST checkbox — enable it if DST is currently in effect at your location to see adjusted local times.

UTC offset is the difference between your local time and Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). For example, New York (Eastern Standard Time) is UTC-5, London (GMT) is UTC+0, and India Standard Time is UTC+5:30. You can find your offset by checking your device's time settings or searching for your city's time zone online. Remember to account for Daylight Saving Time separately using the DST checkbox.

This calculator uses the NOAA solar algorithm, which is highly accurate. Small differences from official sources may occur due to atmospheric refraction (which bends light and makes the Sun appear slightly above the horizon when it is geometrically below), altitude above sea level, and local horizon obstructions. Official forecasts also sometimes round to the nearest minute.