Jacksonville, FL: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Jacksonville
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:19 am and sets at 5:30 pm: 10h 11m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 14h 06m, so the swing is 3h 55m.
When it gets better in Jacksonville
- Earliest sunset: 5:26 pm on Dec 2, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:24 am on Jan 9.
- 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 135 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 25. 18 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 30.3°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 Jacksonville
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth considering if you get up at 7:00 am or earlier: 58 weekday mornings here are still properly dark at that hour, mostly between Aug 26 and Apr 14.
- Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 7:19 am to 5:30 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 16 to Dec 18: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 16.
Daylight in Jacksonville, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 11m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 6:39 am | 8:27 pm | 13h 49m |
| August 2026 | 6:57 am | 8:02 pm | 13h 05m |
| September 2026 | 7:14 am | 7:24 pm | 12h 10m |
| October 2026 | 7:33 am | 6:49 pm | 11h 16m |
| November 2026 | 6:57 am | 5:27 pm | 10h 30m |
| December 2026 | 7:19 am | 5:30 pm | 10h 11m |
| January 2027 | 7:23 am | 5:54 pm | 10h 31m |
| February 2027 | 7:01 am | 6:20 pm | 11h 18m |
| March 2027 | 7:29 am | 7:39 pm | 12h 09m |
| April 2027 | 6:53 am | 7:58 pm | 13h 05m |
| May 2027 | 6:29 am | 8:18 pm | 13h 48m |
| June 2027 | 6:25 am | 8:32 pm | 14h 06m |
Jacksonville against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Jacksonville (10h 11m, sunset 5:30 pm):
- Atlantic Beach, FL, 16 mi away: 10h 11m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:29 pm (-1 min).
- Jacksonville Beach, FL, 17 mi away: 10h 12m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:30 pm (0 min).
- Green Cove Springs, FL, 24 mi away: 10h 13m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 5:31 pm (+1 min).
- Fernandina Beach, FL, 26 mi away: 10h 10m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 5:29 pm (-1 min).
- St. Marys, GA, 29 mi away: 10h 09m of daylight (-2 min), sunset 5:29 pm (-1 min).