Today, Friday, October 2, 2026, the Sun rises at 07:05 and sets at 18:49 in the United States (local time, based on Washington, D.C.). That gives 11h 44min of daylight, with solar noon at 12:57.
The Sun today
It's nighttime now Sunrise in 10h 27min.
Compared with yesterday, today is 2min 30s shorter, and tomorrow will be 2min 30s shorter than today: days are getting shorter.
Today's timeline: twilight, sunrise and sunset
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical twilight begins (Sun 18° below the horizon) | 05:36 |
| Nautical twilight begins (12° below) | 06:07 |
| Civil twilight begins (6° below) | 06:38 |
| Sunrise | 07:05 |
| Solar noon | 12:57 |
| Sunset | 18:49 |
| Civil twilight ends | 19:15 |
| Nautical twilight ends | 19:46 |
| Astronomical twilight ends | 20:17 |
Dawn and dusk are not instant. Today in the United States, civil twilight begins 27 minutes before sunrise, so it is already light enough to walk outdoors at 06:38, and it fades about 27 minutes after sunset. At this latitude the Sun sinks at a shallower angle, so twilight lasts longer than in the tropics. Photographers often plan around the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset, when the light is warm and soft, and drivers, cyclists and runners can use these times to know when to switch on lights.
Next 14 days
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Solar noon | Length | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 2 | 07:05 | 18:49 | 12:57 | 11h 44min | -2min 30s |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 07:06 | 18:47 | 12:57 | 11h 41min | -2min 30s |
| Sun, Oct 4 | 07:06 | 18:46 | 12:56 | 11h 39min | -2min 31s |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 07:07 | 18:44 | 12:56 | 11h 36min | -2min 30s |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 07:08 | 18:42 | 12:56 | 11h 34min | -2min 29s |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 07:09 | 18:41 | 12:55 | 11h 31min | -2min 29s |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 07:10 | 18:39 | 12:55 | 11h 29min | -2min 29s |
| Fri, Oct 9 | 07:11 | 18:38 | 12:55 | 11h 26min | -2min 28s |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 07:12 | 18:36 | 12:55 | 11h 24min | -2min 29s |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 07:13 | 18:35 | 12:54 | 11h 21min | -2min 28s |
| Mon, Oct 12 | 07:14 | 18:33 | 12:54 | 11h 19min | -2min 27s |
| Tue, Oct 13 | 07:15 | 18:32 | 12:54 | 11h 16min | -2min 28s |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 07:16 | 18:30 | 12:54 | 11h 14min | -2min 27s |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 07:17 | 18:29 | 12:53 | 11h 11min | -2min 27s |
How daylight changes through the year in the United States
The longest day of 2026 is June 20, with 14h 53min of daylight, and the shortest is December 21, with 9h 26min: a seasonal swing of 5h 27min. The earliest sunrise is at 05:42 (June 7) and the latest at 07:34 (October 31); the earliest sunset is at 16:45 (December 4) and the latest at 20:37 (June 21). At this latitude the change is clear but moderate, and summer, with the longest days, falls around June.
Monthly table: October 2026
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Length | Civil twilight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 1 | 07:04 | 18:50 | 11h 46min | 06:37 – 19:17 |
| Fri, Oct 2 | 07:05 | 18:49 | 11h 44min | 06:38 – 19:15 |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 07:06 | 18:47 | 11h 41min | 06:39 – 19:14 |
| Sun, Oct 4 | 07:06 | 18:46 | 11h 39min | 06:40 – 19:12 |
| Mon, Oct 5 | 07:07 | 18:44 | 11h 36min | 06:41 – 19:11 |
| Tue, Oct 6 | 07:08 | 18:42 | 11h 34min | 06:42 – 19:09 |
| Wed, Oct 7 | 07:09 | 18:41 | 11h 31min | 06:43 – 19:08 |
| Thu, Oct 8 | 07:10 | 18:39 | 11h 29min | 06:44 – 19:06 |
| Fri, Oct 9 | 07:11 | 18:38 | 11h 26min | 06:45 – 19:05 |
| Sat, Oct 10 | 07:12 | 18:36 | 11h 24min | 06:46 – 19:03 |
| Sun, Oct 11 | 07:13 | 18:35 | 11h 21min | 06:46 – 19:02 |
| Mon, Oct 12 | 07:14 | 18:33 | 11h 19min | 06:47 – 19:00 |
| Tue, Oct 13 | 07:15 | 18:32 | 11h 16min | 06:48 – 18:59 |
| Wed, Oct 14 | 07:16 | 18:30 | 11h 14min | 06:49 – 18:57 |
| Thu, Oct 15 | 07:17 | 18:29 | 11h 11min | 06:50 – 18:56 |
| Fri, Oct 16 | 07:18 | 18:28 | 11h 9min | 06:51 – 18:54 |
| Sat, Oct 17 | 07:19 | 18:26 | 11h 7min | 06:52 – 18:53 |
| Sun, Oct 18 | 07:20 | 18:25 | 11h 4min | 06:53 – 18:52 |
| Mon, Oct 19 | 07:21 | 18:23 | 11h 2min | 06:54 – 18:50 |
| Tue, Oct 20 | 07:22 | 18:22 | 10h 59min | 06:55 – 18:49 |
| Wed, Oct 21 | 07:23 | 18:21 | 10h 57min | 06:56 – 18:48 |
| Thu, Oct 22 | 07:24 | 18:19 | 10h 55min | 06:57 – 18:46 |
| Fri, Oct 23 | 07:25 | 18:18 | 10h 52min | 06:58 – 18:45 |
| Sat, Oct 24 | 07:26 | 18:17 | 10h 50min | 06:59 – 18:44 |
| Sun, Oct 25 | 07:27 | 18:15 | 10h 47min | 07:00 – 18:43 |
| Mon, Oct 26 | 07:28 | 18:14 | 10h 45min | 07:01 – 18:41 |
| Tue, Oct 27 | 07:30 | 18:13 | 10h 43min | 07:02 – 18:40 |
| Wed, Oct 28 | 07:31 | 18:12 | 10h 41min | 07:03 – 18:39 |
| Thu, Oct 29 | 07:32 | 18:10 | 10h 38min | 07:04 – 18:38 |
| Fri, Oct 30 | 07:33 | 18:09 | 10h 36min | 07:05 – 18:37 |
| Sat, Oct 31 | 07:34 | 18:08 | 10h 34min | 07:06 – 18:36 |
Where these times come from
All times are calculated astronomically for Washington, D.C. (38.91° N, 77.04° W) and shown in the local time zone (America/New_York, UTC-4). Sunrise and sunset refer to the moment the upper edge of the Sun touches the horizon, already counting atmospheric refraction. They refer to the reference city; other cities in the United States differ by a few minutes for every degree of longitude (about 4 minutes per degree) and by their latitude. In countries that span several time zones, the local clock times can differ a lot. Values are accurate to within about a minute.
See also
- Current time in the United States
- Sunrise and sunset in every state and country
- Moon phase today · Start of the seasons
Other places
Coordinates used: 38.91° N, 77.04° W