Sandpoint, ID: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Sandpoint
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:35 am and sets at 3:54 pm: 8h 20m of daylight, a dark winter. The longest day of summer has 16h 05m, so the swing is 7h 46m.
When it gets better in Sandpoint
- Earliest sunset: 3:52 pm on Dec 11, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:37 am on Dec 31.
- Back above 10 hours of daylight: Feb 11.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 3.4 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 86. 60 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 48.3°N this is as far north as, or farther than, Nashua NH (43°N), where a 1990 survey found 9.7% of adults reported winter depression.
What to do about it in Sandpoint
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth considering if you get up at 7:00 am or earlier: 43 weekday mornings here are still properly dark at that hour, mostly between Oct 12 and Feb 10.
- On daylight grounds there is a strong case for a light therapy lamp: 60 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 Oct 30 to Feb 26: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Oct 30.
Daylight in Sandpoint, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 8h 20m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 5:08 am | 8:37 pm | 15h 28m |
| August 2026 | 5:49 am | 7:49 pm | 14h 00m |
| September 2026 | 6:32 am | 6:46 pm | 12h 14m |
| October 2026 | 7:15 am | 5:46 pm | 10h 30m |
| November 2026 | 7:03 am | 4:01 pm | 8h 58m |
| December 2026 | 7:35 am | 3:54 pm | 8h 20m |
| January 2027 | 7:27 am | 4:28 pm | 9h 01m |
| February 2027 | 6:43 am | 5:18 pm | 10h 35m |
| March 2027 | 6:47 am | 7:00 pm | 12h 13m |
| April 2027 | 5:45 am | 7:46 pm | 14h 01m |
| May 2027 | 4:59 am | 8:27 pm | 15h 28m |
| June 2027 | 4:45 am | 8:51 pm | 16h 05m |
Sandpoint against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Sandpoint (8h 20m, sunset 3:54 pm):
- Rathdrum, ID, 37 mi away: 8h 24m of daylight (+4 min), sunset 3:58 pm (+4 min).
- Hayden, ID, 37 mi away: 8h 24m of daylight (+4 min), sunset 3:58 pm (+4 min).
- Coeur d'Alene, ID, 41 mi away: 8h 25m of daylight (+5 min), sunset 3:58 pm (+4 min).
- Post Falls, ID, 42 mi away: 8h 25m of daylight (+5 min), sunset 3:58 pm (+4 min).
- Liberty Lake, WA, 49 mi away: 8h 25m of daylight (+5 min), sunset 3:59 pm (+5 min).