howmuchsun

Daylight hours in Anchorage

Anchorage gets 19h 19m of daylight on its longest day in June, and 5h 31m on its shortest in December — a difference of 13h 49m across the year.

How fast the days change

Around 12 March, Anchorage gains or loses about 5.8 minutes of daylight every day.

That is quick enough to notice week to week, which is why spring seems to arrive all at once this far from the equator.

Sunrise and sunset by month

On the 15th of each month, in America/Anchorage local time, daylight saving included.

Sunrise, sunset and day length by month.
MonthSunriseSunsetDaylightSolar noon
January 09:56 16:22 6h 26m 13:09
February 08:40 17:46 9h 06m 13:13
March 08:15 20:01 11h 46m 14:08
April 06:37 21:21 14h 45m 13:59
May 05:10 22:40 17h 30m 13:55
June 04:20 23:39 19h 19m 14:00
July 04:52 23:18 18h 26m 14:05
August 06:09 21:58 15h 49m 14:04
September 07:27 20:21 12h 55m 13:54
October 08:43 18:47 10h 04m 13:45
November 09:06 16:21 7h 15m 12:44
December 10:09 15:40 5h 31m 12:54

Solstices and equinoxes

DateSunriseSunsetDaylight
March equinox 20 Mar 07:59 20:14 12h 15m
June solstice 21 Jun 04:20 23:42 19h 22m
September equinox 22 Sep 07:44 19:59 12h 15m
December solstice 21 Dec 10:14 15:41 5h 27m

The equinoxes give almost exactly twelve hours of daylight everywhere on earth — "almost" because sunrise is defined by the sun's upper edge rather than its centre, and the atmosphere bends its light over the horizon before it has really arrived. Both lengthen the day by a few minutes.

Other cities in United States

Assumptions

  • Sea-level horizon. Hills, mountains and buildings all delay sunrise and bring sunset forward, sometimes by a lot in a valley.
  • Standard refraction. Sunrise is taken at −0.833°, allowing for the sun's disc and average atmospheric bending. Unusual air conditions shift it by a minute or two.
  • Local clock time, with daylight saving applied from the IANA timezone database.

Full methodology, sources and known limitations