Most Americans have seen their final 8 PM sunset of the year
Data: NOAA solar calculations; U.S. Census Bureau; Note: Times are calculated for a single point within each U.S. county or equivalent. Actual sunset times across a given county might vary; Map: Brad Jennings/Axios
Most Americans have already seen their final 8 pm sunset of the year.
The big picture: We lose a little more daylight every day as the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere tilts away from the Sun through Dec. 21, which will be the shortest day of the year.
- But the farther west within a time zone you live, the later your sunsets will typically be.
Zoom in: Most of the largest U.S. metro areas sit in the eastern parts of their time zones.
- East Coast cities from Boston to Miami are already officially in 8 pm darkness.
- Ditto for Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, New Orleans, Nashville and Denver in their respective time zones.
- Most major cities in Texas — including San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth — still have late-evening daylight.
- And Atlanta, which sits west of Detroit in the Eastern time zone, also has later light.
Yes, but: Parts of southeastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and all of Hawaii never see an 8 pm sunset, even at the height of summer.
- And then there’s Arizona, which does not observe daylight saving time, so most Arizonans get what they get: earlier sunsets all the time.
Brad’s thought bubble: Here’s how I’m soaking up the last of the summer sun:
- Taking an after-dinner stroll with friends or family.
- Collecting the last of the fireflies (or lightning bugs?) in the field.
- Catching one more baseball game before Friday night lights officially take over.
Go deeper: Why shorter days could change your mood
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