Ocala, FL: shortest day and earliest sunset

The shortest day in Ocala

On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:18 am and sets at 5:35 pm: 10h 17m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 14h 01m, so the swing is 3h 44m.

When it gets better in Ocala

• Earliest sunset: 5:30 pm on Dec 1, before the shortest day (here is why).
• Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:24 am on Jan 10.
• 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 141 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 29.2°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 Ocala

• A sunrise alarm clock is worth getting here: on 61 weekdays the sun is still at least 20 minutes from rising at 7:00 am. Dark mornings run from Aug 21 to Apr 16, so set it up before Aug 21.
• Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 7:18 am to 5:35 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 Ocala, month by month

Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 17m.

Ocala against the places around it

On the shortest day, compared with Ocala (10h 17m, sunset 5:35 pm):

• Lady Lake, FL, 22 mi away: 10h 18m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:35 pm (0 min).
• Wildwood, FL, 27 mi away: 10h 18m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:35 pm (0 min).
• Leesburg, FL, 35 mi away: 10h 19m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 5:35 pm (0 min).
• Eustis, FL, 36 mi away: 10h 18m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:34 pm (-1 min).
• Gainesville, FL, 37 mi away: 10h 14m of daylight (-3 min), sunset 5:35 pm (0 min).