Ridgecrest, CA: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Ridgecrest
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 6:57 am and sets at 4:41 pm: 9h 45m of daylight, a moderate winter. The longest day of summer has 14h 34m, so the swing is 4h 50m.
When it gets better in Ridgecrest
- Earliest sunset: 4:37 pm on Dec 5, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:01 am on Jan 6.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Jan 15.
- 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 22 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 75. 10 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 35.6°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 Ridgecrest
- You probably do not need a sunrise alarm clock for a 7:00 am start here: only 0 weekday mornings are still properly dark. If you get up earlier, check the hour against the sunrise times in the table below.
- Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 6:57 am to 4:41 pm window on the shortest day does more than most people expect.
- 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 Ridgecrest, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 9h 45m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 5:51 am | 8:03 pm | 14h 12m |
| August 2026 | 6:15 am | 7:32 pm | 13h 18m |
| September 2026 | 6:38 am | 6:49 pm | 12h 11m |
| October 2026 | 7:03 am | 6:07 pm | 11h 05m |
| November 2026 | 6:32 am | 4:40 pm | 10h 08m |
| December 2026 | 6:57 am | 4:41 pm | 9h 45m |
| January 2027 | 6:57 am | 5:07 pm | 10h 09m |
| February 2027 | 6:31 am | 5:38 pm | 11h 08m |
| March 2027 | 6:53 am | 7:03 pm | 12h 10m |
| April 2027 | 6:10 am | 7:29 pm | 13h 18m |
| May 2027 | 5:42 am | 7:53 pm | 14h 12m |
| June 2027 | 5:35 am | 8:10 pm | 14h 34m |
Ridgecrest against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Ridgecrest (9h 45m, sunset 4:41 pm):
- California City, CA, 35 mi away: 9h 47m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 4:43 pm (+2 min).
- Tehachapi, CA, 55 mi away: 9h 47m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 4:46 pm (+5 min).
- Barstow, CA, 63 mi away: 9h 49m of daylight (+4 min), sunset 4:41 pm (0 min).
- Lancaster, CA, 71 mi away: 9h 50m of daylight (+5 min), sunset 4:46 pm (+5 min).
- Arvin, CA, 72 mi away: 9h 47m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 4:47 pm (+6 min).