Honolulu, HI: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Honolulu
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:05 am and sets at 5:55 pm: 10h 50m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 13h 26m, so the swing is 2h 36m.
When it gets better in Honolulu
- Earliest sunset: 5:48 pm on Nov 26, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:12 am on Jan 16.
- Daylight never drops below 10 hours here.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 1.2 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 48 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 0. 0 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 21.3°N this is as far south as, or farther than, Sarasota FL (27°N), where the same 1990 survey found 1.4%.
What to do about it in Honolulu
- You probably do not need a sunrise alarm clock for a 7:00 am start here: only 0 weekday mornings are still properly dark. If you get up earlier, check the hour against the sunrise times in the table below.
- Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 7:05 am to 5:55 pm window on the shortest day does more than most people expect.
- Heading home at 5:30 pm, you get at least some daylight all year here.
Daylight in Honolulu, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 50m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 6:01 am | 7:15 pm | 13h 14m |
| August 2026 | 6:12 am | 6:57 pm | 12h 45m |
| September 2026 | 6:20 am | 6:28 pm | 12h 08m |
| October 2026 | 6:29 am | 6:02 pm | 11h 33m |
| November 2026 | 6:46 am | 5:48 pm | 11h 02m |
| December 2026 | 7:05 am | 5:55 pm | 10h 50m |
| January 2027 | 7:11 am | 6:14 pm | 11h 03m |
| February 2027 | 6:58 am | 6:32 pm | 11h 34m |
| March 2027 | 6:34 am | 6:43 pm | 12h 08m |
| April 2027 | 6:07 am | 6:53 pm | 12h 45m |
| May 2027 | 5:51 am | 7:05 pm | 13h 14m |
| June 2027 | 5:50 am | 7:16 pm | 13h 26m |
Honolulu against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Honolulu (10h 50m, sunset 5:55 pm):
- San Francisco, CA, 2,361 mi away: 9h 33m of daylight (-77 min), sunset 4:57 pm (-58 min), on America/Los Angeles time.
- Fortuna, CA, 2,377 mi away: 9h 16m of daylight (-94 min), sunset 4:53 pm (-62 min), on America/Los Angeles time.
- Eureka, CA, 2,382 mi away: 9h 15m of daylight (-95 min), sunset 4:52 pm (-63 min), on America/Los Angeles time.
- Ukiah, CA, 2,385 mi away: 9h 25m of daylight (-85 min), sunset 4:53 pm (-62 min), on America/Los Angeles time.
- Half Moon Bay, CA, 2,386 mi away: 9h 35m of daylight (-75 min), sunset 4:55 pm (-60 min), on America/Los Angeles time.