Le Mars, IA: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Le Mars
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:52 am and sets at 4:54 pm: 9h 02m of daylight, a moderate winter. The longest day of summer has 15h 20m, so the swing is 6h 18m.
When it gets better in Le Mars
- Earliest sunset: 4:51 pm on Dec 8, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:55 am on Jan 3.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Feb 2.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 2.8 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 138 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 62. 62 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 42.8°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 Le Mars
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth getting here: on 96 weekdays the sun is still at least 20 minutes from rising at 7:00 am. Dark mornings run from Sep 11 to Apr 5, so set it up before Sep 11.
- On daylight grounds there is a strong case for a light therapy lamp: 62 weekdays start and end in the dark. Use it in the morning, and if winter low mood is the reason, ask a doctor before you rely on one.
- If you head home at 5:30 pm, the sun has already set from Nov 2 to Jan 26: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 2.
Daylight in Le Mars, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 9h 02m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 6:05 am | 8:56 pm | 14h 51m |
| August 2026 | 6:38 am | 8:17 pm | 13h 39m |
| September 2026 | 7:11 am | 7:24 pm | 12h 12m |
| October 2026 | 7:45 am | 6:33 pm | 10h 47m |
| November 2026 | 7:24 am | 4:57 pm | 9h 33m |
| December 2026 | 7:52 am | 4:54 pm | 9h 02m |
| January 2027 | 7:49 am | 5:23 pm | 9h 34m |
| February 2027 | 7:13 am | 6:04 pm | 10h 51m |
| March 2027 | 7:26 am | 7:38 pm | 12h 12m |
| April 2027 | 6:34 am | 8:14 pm | 13h 40m |
| May 2027 | 5:57 am | 8:47 pm | 14h 50m |
| June 2027 | 5:46 am | 9:07 pm | 15h 20m |
Le Mars against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Le Mars (9h 02m, sunset 4:54 pm):
- Sioux City, IA, 23 mi away: 9h 04m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 4:56 pm (+2 min).
- South Sioux City, NE, 25 mi away: 9h 04m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 4:56 pm (+2 min).
- Vermillion, SD, 38 mi away: 9h 02m of daylight (0 min), sunset 4:57 pm (+3 min).
- Storm Lake, IA, 51 mi away: 9h 03m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 4:50 pm (-4 min).
- Harrisburg, SD, 53 mi away: 8h 57m of daylight (-5 min), sunset 4:54 pm (0 min).