Sun position in Austin

Where the sun stands over Austin, United States (30.2672°, -97.7431°) - today's sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length and shadow length, plus the sun path across the whole year.

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Sun times in Austin on 3 November 2026

Local time in Austin, UTC-6 (standard time). On 14 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 06:43 to 07:42.
Sunrise06:47rises toward ESE (107°)
Solar noon12:15sun 44.5° above the horizon
Sunset17:42sets toward WSW (253°)
Day length10 h 55 min 
Civil dawn06:22first usable light
Civil dusk18:07last usable light
Golden hour, morning06:47–07:20warm low light
Golden hour, evening17:08–17:42warm low light
Shadow at noon1.02 mper metre of height

Times are computed for 30.2672°, -97.7431° and refreshed every day. For any other date, an exact azimuth or a shadow drawn on the map, open the interactive sun position map for Austin.

The sun’s path over Austin

How high the sun stands and where, from sunrise to sunset: today, at both solstices and at the equinox. The higher a curve climbs, the higher the sun; where a curve meets the bottom line, the sun rises or sets at that compass bearing.

Sun path over Austin 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80° 90° N NE E SE S SW W NW N 0° 09:00 12:00 15:00
  • Today, 3 November
  • 21 June
  • Equinox, March and September
  • 21 December

The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over Austin. On 21 June the sun rises at 62° (ENE), climbs to 83.2° at solar noon and sets at 298° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 117° (ESE), climbs to 36.3° at solar noon and sets at 243° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Austin

Sunrise, sunset, day length, noon altitude and noon shadow on the 15th of each month, on the local clock
MonthSunriseSunsetDay lengthNoon altitudeNoon shadow
January07:2817:5310 h 25 min38.7°1.2 m
February07:1118:2011 h 09 min47.3°0.9 m
March07:4119:3911 h 59 min57.8°0.6 m
April07:0419:5912 h 55 min69.7°0.4 m
May06:3720:1813 h 41 min78.7°0.2 m
June06:2920:3414 h 05 min83.1°0.1 m
July06:4020:3413 h 55 min81.2°0.2 m
August06:5820:1213 h 14 min73.6°0.3 m
September07:1619:3612 h 21 min62.5°0.5 m
October07:3319:0011 h 27 min51.0°0.8 m
November06:5717:3410 h 38 min41.1°1.1 m
December07:2017:3210 h 12 min36.4°1.4 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 83.2° above the horizon in Austin and the day lasts 14 h 06 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 36.3° and the day shrinks to 10 h 12 min. That difference is what decides whether a garden, a window or a solar array sees the sun in winter. The noon shadow column gives the length of the shadow of anything one metre tall.

Austin through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day21 June14 h 06 min, 06:30–20:36
Shortest day21 December10 h 12 min, 07:23–17:35
Earliest sunrise11 June06:29
Latest sunrise8 March07:49
Earliest sunset2 December17:30
Latest sunset30 June20:37
Highest midday sun21 June83.2°
Lowest midday sun21 December36.3°
Sunrise directionthrough the year62° ENE (21 June) to 117° ESE (21 December)
Sunset directionthrough the year243° WSW (21 December) to 298° WNW (20 June)
  • At solar noon the sun in Austin always stands due south, so the south side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
  • The longest day in Austin is 3 h 54 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 1.8 minutes a day.

The winter solstice 2026: the moment, and the shortest and the longest day, city by city →

When the days start getting longer: the earliest sunset, the latest sunrise and lighter evenings, city by city →

Planning around the sun in Austin

Solar panels

At 30.3° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 26°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 30.2672°, -97.7431° for the exact optimum, the seasonal optima and the loss from an east or west facing roof.

Buying a flat or a plot

At the December solstice the noon sun in Austin sits 36.3° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 1.4 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the south before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 December.

Photography

Golden hour runs 06:47–07:20 in the morning and 17:08–17:42 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (253°). The golden hour calculator gives the same windows for any date, and the map’s alignment finder shows the days when the setting sun lines up with a street.

More on planning around the sun: which way a house, garden or balcony should face, how long golden hour lasts and why the earliest sunset comes before the shortest day.

Other cities

Near Austin

On the same latitude

Austin lies at 30.3° N. On the same parallel the longest and the shortest day last just as long and the noon sun climbs just as high, whatever the clocks say there:

Sunrise and sunset in all 110 cities in the United States →

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Austin

What time is sunrise and sunset in Austin today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:47 and sets at 17:42 in Austin (UTC-6), giving 10 h 55 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Austin today?

Solar noon is at 12:15, when the sun stands due south, 44.5° above the horizon. It is the middle of the day by the sun and the moment shadows are shortest.

When is the longest day of the year in Austin?

On 21 June, with 14 h 06 min between sunrise at 06:30 and sunset at 20:36.

When is the shortest day of the year in Austin?

On 21 December, with 10 h 12 min between sunrise at 07:23 and sunset at 17:35.

How high does the sun get in Austin?

At solar noon the sun reaches 83.2° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 36.3° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 44.5°.

In which direction does the sun rise and set in Austin?

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 62° (ENE) and 117° (ESE), and sunset between 243° (WSW) and 298° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Austin?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 26° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

When is the earliest sunset in Austin?

On 2 December at 17:30, 19 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 10 January at 07:29, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Austin?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 2 minutes longer, by 31 January 33 minutes longer and by 28 February 1 h 19 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 2 December.

What time does it get dark in Austin in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 17:30 and the sky is dark by about 17:56, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 17:41 and darkness at about 18:07.