Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago — Times for Any Date

Chicago sunrise, sunset, solar noon and golden hour for any date, computed live for latitude 41.9° N.

Chicago Sun Calculator

The western-edge effect

Chicago sits at the far western edge of the Eastern time zone, so its solar noon comes late — around 12:50 CST in winter and 13:30 CDT in summer. That makes Chicago's summer sunsets spectacularly late for its latitude: past 20:25 CDT in late June, with the winter solstice still delivering 9 hours 20 minutes of daylight.

Lake Michigan light

On the lakefront, the horizon is genuine water — the calculator's sunrise times are almost exactly what you see from North Avenue Beach. In winter, the sun rises over the lake to the southeast, and 'sunrise over frozen Lake Michigan' is one of the city's best photographic constants.

FAQ

Why do Chicago sunsets feel so late in summer?

Chicago is far west within the Eastern time zone, adding roughly 30–40 minutes of clock-time delay to sunset versus east-coast cities at the same latitude.

When is the earliest sunrise in Chicago?

Around 05:15 CDT in mid-June; the exact date and time are in the calculator above.

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