Tucson, AZ: shortest day and earliest sunset
The shortest day in Tucson
On Dec 21 the sun rises at 7:20 am and sets at 5:23 pm: 10h 03m of daylight, a bright winter. The longest day of summer has 14h 16m, so the swing is 4h 13m.
When it gets better in Tucson
- Earliest sunset: 5:18 pm on Dec 3, before the shortest day (here is why).
- Latest sunrise (standard time): 7:25 am on Jan 8.
- Daylight never drops below 10 hours here.
- By Feb 21 the days grow by 1.9 minutes a day.
Waking and coming home in the dark
With a 7:00 am alarm, the sun is not yet up on 64 weekdays a year. Heading home at 5:30 pm, it has already set on 42. 29 weekdays start and end in the dark. The alarm and lamp guide shows how that compares across the country.
At 32.2°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 Tucson
- A sunrise alarm clock is worth considering if you get up at 7:00 am or earlier: 28 weekday mornings here are still properly dark at that hour, mostly between Nov 24 and Feb 19.
- There is some case for a light therapy lamp: 29 weekdays start and end in the dark. If you notice winter low mood, ask a doctor whether one fits you.
- If you head home at 5:30 pm, the sun has already set from Nov 5 to Jan 1: worth checking your bike lights and porch light before Nov 5.
Daylight in Tucson, month by month
Sunrise, sunset and day length on the 21st of each month, local clock time. December is the darkest, at 10h 03m.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | 5:32 am | 7:28 pm | 13h 57m |
| August 2026 | 5:52 am | 7:01 pm | 13h 09m |
| September 2026 | 6:11 am | 6:21 pm | 12h 10m |
| October 2026 | 6:32 am | 5:44 pm | 11h 12m |
| November 2026 | 6:58 am | 5:21 pm | 10h 23m |
| December 2026 | 7:20 am | 5:23 pm | 10h 03m |
| January 2027 | 7:23 am | 5:47 pm | 10h 24m |
| February 2027 | 7:00 am | 6:15 pm | 11h 15m |
| March 2027 | 6:26 am | 6:36 pm | 12h 10m |
| April 2027 | 5:48 am | 6:57 pm | 13h 09m |
| May 2027 | 5:22 am | 7:18 pm | 13h 56m |
| June 2027 | 5:18 am | 7:33 pm | 14h 16m |
Tucson against the places around it
On the shortest day, compared with Tucson (10h 03m, sunset 5:23 pm):
- Sahuarita, AZ, 16 mi away: 10h 04m of daylight (+1 min), sunset 5:24 pm (+1 min).
- Oro Valley, AZ, 20 mi away: 10h 01m of daylight (-2 min), sunset 5:23 pm (0 min).
- Marana, AZ, 27 mi away: 10h 01m of daylight (-2 min), sunset 5:23 pm (0 min).
- Sierra Vista, AZ, 52 mi away: 10h 05m of daylight (+2 min), sunset 5:22 pm (-1 min).
- Nogales, AZ, 55 mi away: 10h 06m of daylight (+3 min), sunset 5:25 pm (+2 min).