Gainesville, FL: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Gainesville
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:20 am and sets at 5:35 pm: 10h 14m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 14h 03m, so the swing is 3h 49m.
When it gets better in Gainesville
- Earliest sunset: 5:30 pm on Dec 1, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:26 am on Jan 10.
- Daylight never drops below 10 hours here.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 1.7 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 145 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 5. 5 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 29.7°N this sits between Sarasota FL (27°N, 1.4%) and Nashua NH (43°N, 9.7%) in a 1990 survey of winter depression by latitude.
What to do about it in Gainesville
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth getting here: on 68 weekdays the sun is still at least 20 minutes from rising at 7:00 am. Dark mornings run from Aug 20 to Apr 16, so set it up before Aug 20.
- Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 7:20 am to 5:35 pm window on the shortest day does more than most people expect.
- If you head home at 5:30 pm, the sun has already set from Nov 30 to Dec 4: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 30.
Daylight in Gainesville, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 14m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 6:43 am | 8:29 pm | 13h 46m |
| August 2026 | 7:01 am | 8:04 pm | 13h 03m |
| September 2026 | 7:17 am | 7:27 pm | 12h 10m |
| October 2026 | 7:35 am | 6:52 pm | 11h 17m |
| November 2026 | 6:59 am | 5:31 pm | 10h 33m |
| December 2026 | 7:20 am | 5:35 pm | 10h 14m |
| January 2027 | 7:24 am | 5:58 pm | 10h 34m |
| February 2027 | 7:03 am | 6:23 pm | 11h 19m |
| March 2027 | 7:32 am | 7:41 pm | 12h 09m |
| April 2027 | 6:57 am | 8:00 pm | 13h 03m |
| May 2027 | 6:33 am | 8:19 pm | 13h 45m |
| June 2027 | 6:30 am | 8:33 pm | 14h 03m |
Gainesville against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Gainesville (10h 14m, sunset 5:35 pm):
- Alachua, FL, 11 mi away: 10h 14m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:35 pm (0 min).
- Ocala, FL, 37 mi away: 10h 17m of daylight (+3 min), sunset 5:35 pm (0 min).
- Lake City, FL, 39 mi away: 10h 12m of daylight (-2 min), sunset 5:35 pm (0 min).
- Palatka, FL, 41 mi away: 10h 15m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:32 pm (-3 min).
- Green Cove Springs, FL, 45 mi away: 10h 13m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 5:31 pm (-4 min).