Middlesex, NJ: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Middlesex
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:18 am and sets at 4:34 pm: 9h 16m of daylight, a moderate winter. The longest day of summer has 15h 05m, so the swing is 5h 49m.
When it gets better in Middlesex
- Earliest sunset: 4:31 pm on Dec 7, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:22 am on Jan 4.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Jan 29.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 2.6 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 74 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 75. 51 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 40.6°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 Middlesex
- You probably do not need a sunrise alarm clock for a 7:00 am start here: only 18 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: 51 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 Feb 12: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 2.
Daylight in Middlesex, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 9h 16m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 5:45 am | 8:23 pm | 14h 38m |
| August 2026 | 6:15 am | 7:47 pm | 13h 32m |
| September 2026 | 6:45 am | 6:57 pm | 12h 12m |
| October 2026 | 7:16 am | 6:09 pm | 10h 53m |
| November 2026 | 6:51 am | 4:36 pm | 9h 44m |
| December 2026 | 7:18 am | 4:34 pm | 9h 16m |
| January 2027 | 7:17 am | 5:02 pm | 9h 46m |
| February 2027 | 6:44 am | 5:40 pm | 10h 56m |
| March 2027 | 7:00 am | 7:11 pm | 12h 11m |
| April 2027 | 6:11 am | 7:43 pm | 13h 33m |
| May 2027 | 5:36 am | 8:13 pm | 14h 37m |
| June 2027 | 5:27 am | 8:32 pm | 15h 05m |
Middlesex against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Middlesex (9h 16m, sunset 4:34 pm):
- Bound Brook, NJ, 2 mi away: 9h 16m of daylight (0 min), sunset 4:34 pm (0 min).
- South Plainfield, NJ, 4 mi away: 9h 16m of daylight (0 min), sunset 4:34 pm (0 min).
- North Plainfield, NJ, 4 mi away: 9h 16m of daylight (0 min), sunset 4:34 pm (0 min).
- Plainfield, NJ, 5 mi away: 9h 16m of daylight (0 min), sunset 4:34 pm (0 min).
- Manville, NJ, 5 mi away: 9h 16m of daylight (0 min), sunset 4:35 pm (+1 min).