Tampa, FL: shortest day and earliest sunset

The shortest day in Tampa

On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:17 am and sets at 5:39 pm: 10h 22m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 13h 55m, so the swing is 3h 33m.

When it gets better in Tampa

• Earliest sunset: 5:34 pm on Nov 30, before the shortest day (here is why).
• Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:23 am on Jan 11.
• Daylight never drops below 10 hours here.
• By Feb 21 the days grow by 1.6 minutes a day.

Waking and coming home in the dark

With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 146 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 28.0°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 Tampa

• A sunrise alarm clock is worth getting here: on 60 weekdays the sun is still at least 20 minutes from rising at 7:00 am. Dark mornings run from Aug 17 to Apr 20, so set it up before Aug 17.
• Daylight alone gives little reason for a light therapy lamp here. Getting outside in the 7:17 am to 5:39 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 Tampa, month by month

Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 22m.

Tampa against the places around it

On the shortest day, compared with Tampa (10h 22m, sunset 5:39 pm):

• Temple Terrace, FL, 8 mi away: 10h 22m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:39 pm (0 min).
• Oldsmar, FL, 13 mi away: 10h 22m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:40 pm (+1 min).
• Safety Harbor, FL, 14 mi away: 10h 22m of daylight (0 min), sunset 5:40 pm (+1 min).
• Pinellas Park, FL, 16 mi away: 10h 23m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:40 pm (+1 min).
• St. Petersburg, FL, 17 mi away: 10h 23m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:40 pm (+1 min).