Straight after the winter solstice on Monday, December 21, 2026. The gain is under a second on December 22. By Christmas, New York gains about 12 seconds a day, and by February 1 it's 2 min 10 sec a day.
When does it start getting lighter?
Evenings first. Sunset starts getting later before the solstice: in early December for most of the US, and in late November in Florida, Texas and Hawaii. Mornings keep getting darker until late December or early January, because sunrise keeps getting later too. In Seattle, the earliest sunset is Dec 6 and the latest sunrise is Dec 26.
Seattle's sunset turns later 15 days before the solstice
Clock times of sunset and sunrise, November 15 to January 31. The line marks the solstice, December 21. Sunrise keeps getting later until Dec 26.
Source: DaySight, calculated from the sun's position for each city.
City
Evenings get lighter from
Mornings get lighter from
Anchorage, AK
Dec 14 (sunset 3:41 PM)
Dec 22 (sunrise 10:16 AM)
Seattle, WA
Dec 6 (sunset 4:19 PM)
Dec 26 (sunrise 7:58 AM)
Minneapolis, MN
Dec 9 (sunset 4:32 PM)
Dec 29 (sunrise 7:52 AM)
Chicago, IL
Dec 7 (sunset 4:20 PM)
Dec 30 (sunrise 7:19 AM)
New York, NY
Dec 8 (sunset 4:29 PM)
Dec 31 (sunrise 7:21 AM)
Denver, CO
Dec 5 (sunset 4:36 PM)
Dec 31 (sunrise 7:22 AM)
Los Angeles, CA
Dec 4 (sunset 4:44 PM)
Jan 3 (sunrise 7:00 AM)
Dallas, TX
Nov 28 (sunset 5:22 PM)
Jan 2 (sunrise 7:31 AM)
Miami, FL
Nov 26 (sunset 5:30 PM)
Jan 9 (sunrise 7:10 AM)
Honolulu, HI
Nov 22 (sunset 5:49 PM)
Jan 9 (sunrise 7:12 AM)
Why sunset and sunrise don't turn on the solstice itself is explained in the winter solstice.
How much daylight do we gain each day?
A few seconds a day at first, building by March to between 1 and 6 minutes a day, depending on how far north you are. The gain is fastest around the spring equinox, then slows until the longest day in June, when it stops.
The days lengthen fastest around the spring equinox
Daylight gained each day, December 22, 2026 to June 21, 2027. Seattle peaks at 3 min 30 sec a day in mid-March.
AnchorageSeattleNew YorkMiami
Source: DaySight, calculated from the sun's position for each city.
City
Jan 1
Feb 1
Mar 1
Fastest, mid-March
Anchorage, AK
2 min
5 min 20 sec
5 min 40 sec
5 min 50 sec
Seattle, WA
54 sec
2 min 50 sec
3 min 20 sec
3 min 30 sec
Minneapolis, MN
48 sec
2 min 30 sec
3 min 10 sec
3 min 10 sec
Chicago, IL
42 sec
2 min 20 sec
2 min 50 sec
2 min 50 sec
New York, NY
40 sec
2 min 10 sec
2 min 40 sec
2 min 40 sec
Denver, CO
39 sec
2 min 10 sec
2 min 30 sec
2 min 40 sec
Los Angeles, CA
31 sec
1 min 40 sec
2 min 10 sec
2 min 10 sec
Dallas, TX
29 sec
1 min 40 sec
2 min
2 min
Miami, FL
21 sec
1 min 10 sec
1 min 30 sec
1 min 30 sec
Honolulu, HI
17 sec
58 sec
1 min 10 sec
1 min 10 sec
Daylight gained per day, sunrise to sunset, calculated by DaySight for each city.
The further north you are, the more you lost by December and the faster it comes back.
When do you get your first extra hour?
Counting from the solstice, Anchorage has an extra hour of daylight by Jan 16. Miami waits until Feb 25.
City
+1 hour
+2 hours
+3 hours
Anchorage, AK
Jan 16
Jan 29
Feb 9
Seattle, WA
Jan 30
Feb 18
Mar 8
Minneapolis, MN
Feb 1
Feb 22
Mar 14
Chicago, IL
Feb 4
Feb 27
Mar 21
New York, NY
Feb 5
Mar 1
Mar 23
Denver, CO
Feb 6
Mar 3
Mar 26
Los Angeles, CA
Feb 13
Mar 14
Apr 11
Dallas, TX
Feb 14
Mar 17
Apr 16
Miami, FL
Feb 25
Apr 6
May 24
Honolulu, HI
Mar 7
Apr 26
Not this year
Daylight is sunrise to sunset, compared with December 21, 2026.
Honolulu's longest day is less than three hours longer than its shortest, so it never reaches a third extra hour.
Why the days get longer
After the solstice, the Earth's orbit starts to turn the Northern Hemisphere back toward the sun. The midday sun climbs a little higher each day and stays up a little longer. It keeps going until the summer solstice in June. See the shortest day of the year for where it starts.