Jacksonville, NC: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Jacksonville
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:13 am and sets at 5:03 pm: 9h 50m of daylight, a moderate winter. The longest day of summer has 14h 29m, so the swing is 4h 40m.
When it gets better in Jacksonville
- Earliest sunset: 4:58 pm on Dec 4, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:17 am on Jan 7.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Jan 11.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 2.1 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 86 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 60. 37 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 34.7°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 Jacksonville
- You probably do not need a sunrise alarm clock for a 7:00 am start here: only 9 weekday mornings are still properly dark. If you get up earlier, check the hour against the sunrise times in the table below.
- There is some case for a light therapy lamp: 37 weekdays start and end in the dark. If you notice winter low mood, ask a doctor whether one fits you.
- If you head home at 5:30 pm, the sun has already set from Nov 2 to Jan 22: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 2.
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 9h 50m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 6:12 am | 8:20 pm | 14h 08m |
| August 2026 | 6:35 am | 7:50 pm | 13h 16m |
| September 2026 | 6:57 am | 7:08 pm | 12h 11m |
| October 2026 | 7:20 am | 6:27 pm | 11h 07m |
| November 2026 | 6:49 am | 5:01 pm | 10h 12m |
| December 2026 | 7:13 am | 5:03 pm | 9h 50m |
| January 2027 | 7:14 am | 5:28 pm | 10h 13m |
| February 2027 | 6:49 am | 5:58 pm | 11h 09m |
| March 2027 | 7:12 am | 7:22 pm | 12h 10m |
| April 2027 | 6:31 am | 7:46 pm | 13h 16m |
| May 2027 | 6:03 am | 8:10 pm | 14h 07m |
| June 2027 | 5:57 am | 8:26 pm | 14h 29m |
Jacksonville against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Jacksonville (9h 50m, sunset 5:03 pm):
- Havelock, NC, 31 mi away: 9h 49m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 5:00 pm (-3 min).
- New Bern, NC, 31 mi away: 9h 48m of daylight (-2 min), sunset 5:00 pm (-3 min).
- Kinston, NC, 39 mi away: 9h 47m of daylight (-3 min), sunset 5:02 pm (-1 min).
- Wilmington, NC, 46 mi away: 9h 52m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 5:06 pm (+3 min).
- Leland, NC, 51 mi away: 9h 52m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 5:06 pm (+3 min).