Punta Gorda, FL: shortest day and earliest sunset

The shortest day in Punta Gorda

On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:13 am and sets at 5:40 pm: 10h 27m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 13h 50m, so the swing is 3h 23m.

When it gets better in Punta Gorda

• Earliest sunset: 5:34 pm on Nov 30, before the shortest day (here is why).
• Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:19 am on Jan 12.
• Daylight never drops below 10 hours here.
• By Feb 21 the days grow by 1.5 minutes a day.

Waking and coming home in the dark

With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 140 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 26.9°N this is as far south as, or farther than, Sarasota FL (27°N), where the same 1990 survey found 1.4%.

What to do about it in Punta Gorda

• A sunrise alarm clock is worth considering if you get up at 7:00 am or earlier: 36 weekday mornings here are still properly dark at that hour, mostly between Aug 17 and Apr 19.
• Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 7:13 am to 5:40 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 Punta Gorda, month by month

Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 27m.

Punta Gorda against the places around it

On the shortest day, compared with Punta Gorda (10h 27m, sunset 5:40 pm):

• North Port, FL, 14 mi away: 10h 26m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 5:40 pm (0 min).
• Cape Coral, FL, 18 mi away: 10h 28m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:40 pm (0 min).
• Fort Myers, FL, 24 mi away: 10h 28m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:40 pm (0 min).
• Venice, FL, 26 mi away: 10h 26m of daylight (-1 min), sunset 5:41 pm (+1 min).
• Estero, FL, 37 mi away: 10h 29m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 5:40 pm (0 min).