Sun position in Calgary

Where the sun stands over Calgary, Canada (51.0501°, -114.0853°) - 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 Calgary on 3 November 2026

Local time in Calgary, UTC-7 (standard time). On 14 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 06:55 to 07:53.
Sunrise07:33rises toward ESE (113°)
Solar noon12:20sun 23.7° above the horizon
Sunset17:07sets toward WSW (246°)
Day length9 h 34 min 
Civil dawn06:57first usable light
Civil dusk17:42last usable light
Golden hour, morning07:33–08:22warm low light
Golden hour, evening16:17–17:07warm low light
Shadow at noon2.28 mper metre of height

Times are computed for 51.0501°, -114.0853° 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 Calgary.

The sun’s path over Calgary

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 Calgary 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 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 Calgary. On 21 June the sun rises at 49° (NE), climbs to 62.4° at solar noon and sets at 311° (NW). On 21 December the sun rises at 128° (SE), climbs to 15.5° at solar noon and sets at 232° (SW).

The sun through the year in Calgary

Sunrise, sunset, day length, noon altitude and noon shadow on the 15th of each month, on the local clock
MonthSunriseSunsetDay lengthNoon altitudeNoon shadow
January08:3316:598 h 26 min17.9°3.1 m
February07:4917:5310 h 04 min26.5°2 m
March07:5019:4211 h 52 min37.1°1.3 m
April06:4120:3313 h 52 min48.9°0.9 m
May05:4621:2015 h 34 min58.0°0.6 m
June05:2121:5316 h 32 min62.3°0.5 m
July05:3921:4516 h 05 min60.4°0.6 m
August06:2420:5714 h 33 min52.8°0.8 m
September07:1219:5012 h 38 min41.7°1.1 m
October08:0018:4310 h 43 min30.2°1.7 m
November07:5316:488 h 55 min20.3°2.7 m
December08:3316:307 h 56 min15.7°3.6 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 62.4° above the horizon in Calgary and the day lasts 16 h 33 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 15.5° and the day shrinks to 7 h 54 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.

Calgary through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day21 June16 h 33 min, 05:22–21:55
Shortest day21 December7 h 54 min, 08:37–16:32
Earliest sunrise16 June05:21
Latest sunrise30 December08:40
Earliest sunset12 December16:29
Latest sunset24 June21:55
Highest midday sun21 June62.4°
Lowest midday sun21 December15.5°
Sunrise directionthrough the year49° NE (21 June) to 128° SE (21 December)
Sunset directionthrough the year232° SW (21 December) to 311° NW (20 June)
  • At solar noon the sun in Calgary always stands due south, so the south side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
  • From 24 May to 17 July the sky over Calgary never gets fully dark: the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night, so there is no true astronomical night.
  • The earliest sunset is on 12 December, 9 days before the shortest day (21 December), and the latest sunrise on 30 December, 9 days after it. Solar noon drifts through the year, so the darkest afternoon and the darkest morning do not fall on the shortest day.
  • The longest day in Calgary is 8 h 39 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 3.9 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 Calgary

Solar panels

At 51.1° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 42°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 51.0501°, -114.0853° 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 Calgary sits 15.5° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 3.6 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 07:33–08:22 in the morning and 16:17–17:07 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (246°). 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 Calgary

On the same latitude

Calgary lies at 51.1° 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 20 cities in Canada →

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Calgary

What time is sunrise and sunset in Calgary today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 07:33 and sets at 17:07 in Calgary (UTC-7), giving 9 h 34 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Calgary today?

Solar noon is at 12:20, when the sun stands due south, 23.7° 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 Calgary?

On 21 June, with 16 h 33 min between sunrise at 05:22 and sunset at 21:55.

When is the shortest day of the year in Calgary?

On 21 December, with 7 h 54 min between sunrise at 08:37 and sunset at 16:32.

How high does the sun get in Calgary?

At solar noon the sun reaches 62.4° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 15.5° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 23.7°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 49° (NE) and 128° (SE), and sunset between 232° (SW) and 311° (NW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Calgary?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 42° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

Does it get dark in Calgary in summer?

Not fully. From 24 May to 17 July the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night.

When is the earliest sunset in Calgary?

On 12 December at 16:29, 9 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 30 December at 08:40, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Calgary?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 5 minutes longer, by 31 January 1 h 17 min longer and by 28 February 2 h 58 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 12 December.

What time does it get dark in Calgary in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 16:33 and the sky is dark by about 17:11, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 16:39 and darkness at about 17:19.