Sun position in Columbia, South Carolina

Where the sun stands over Columbia, South Carolina, United States (34.0007°, -81.0348°) - 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 Columbia, South Carolina on 3 November 2026

Local time in Columbia, South Carolina, UTC-5 (standard time). On 14 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 06:38 to 07:36.
Sunrise	06:46	rises toward ESE (108°)
Solar noon	12:08	sun 40.8° above the horizon
Sunset	17:29	sets toward WSW (252°)
Day length	10 h 44 min
Civil dawn	06:20	first usable light
Civil dusk	17:55	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	06:46–07:21	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	16:54–17:29	warm low light
Shadow at noon	1.16 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 34.0007°, -81.0348° 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 Columbia, South Carolina.

The sun’s path over Columbia, South Carolina

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.

Today, 3 November
21 June
Equinox, March and September
21 December

The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over Columbia, South Carolina. On 21 June the sun rises at 61° (ENE), climbs to 79.4° at solar noon and sets at 299° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 118° (ESE), climbs to 32.6° at solar noon and sets at 242° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Columbia, South Carolina

Sunrise, sunset, day length, noon altitude and noon shadow on the 15th of each month, on the local clock
Month	Sunrise	Sunset	Day length	Noon altitude	Noon shadow
January	07:29	17:38	10 h 09 min	35.0°	1.4 m
February	07:09	18:08	11 h 00 min	43.5°	1.1 m
March	07:34	19:32	11 h 57 min	54.1°	0.7 m
April	06:53	19:56	13 h 02 min	66.0°	0.4 m
May	06:23	20:19	13 h 56 min	75.0°	0.3 m
June	06:12	20:37	14 h 25 min	79.3°	0.2 m
July	06:24	20:36	14 h 12 min	77.4°	0.2 m
August	06:46	20:11	13 h 25 min	69.9°	0.4 m
September	07:07	19:31	12 h 23 min	58.8°	0.6 m
October	07:29	18:50	11 h 21 min	47.3°	0.9 m
November	06:57	17:20	10 h 24 min	37.4°	1.3 m
December	07:22	17:16	9 h 54 min	32.7°	1.6 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 79.4° above the horizon in Columbia, South Carolina and the day lasts 14 h 25 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 32.6° and the day shrinks to 9 h 53 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.

Columbia, South Carolina through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	14 h 25 min, 06:13–20:39
Shortest day	21 December	9 h 53 min, 07:26–17:19
Earliest sunrise	12 June	06:12
Latest sunrise	8 March	07:44
Earliest sunset	4 December	17:15
Latest sunset	29 June	20:39
Highest midday sun	21 June	79.4°
Lowest midday sun	21 December	32.6°
Sunrise direction	through the year	61° ENE (21 June) to 118° ESE (21 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	242° WSW (21 December) to 299° WNW (20 June)

At solar noon the sun in Columbia, South Carolina 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 Columbia, South Carolina is 4 h 32 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 2.1 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 Columbia, South Carolina

Solar panels

At 34.0° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 29°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 34.0007°, -81.0348° 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 Columbia, South Carolina sits 32.6° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 1.6 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 06:46–07:21 in the morning and 16:54–17:29 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (252°). 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 Columbia, South Carolina

On the same latitude

Columbia, South Carolina lies at 34.0° 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 Columbia, South Carolina

What time is sunrise and sunset in Columbia, South Carolina today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:46 and sets at 17:29 in Columbia, South Carolina (UTC-5), giving 10 h 44 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Columbia, South Carolina today?

Solar noon is at 12:08, when the sun stands due south, 40.8° 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 Columbia, South Carolina?

On 21 June, with 14 h 25 min between sunrise at 06:13 and sunset at 20:39.

When is the shortest day of the year in Columbia, South Carolina?

On 21 December, with 9 h 53 min between sunrise at 07:26 and sunset at 17:19.

How high does the sun get in Columbia, South Carolina?

At solar noon the sun reaches 79.4° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 32.6° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 40.8°.

In which direction does the sun rise and set in Columbia, South Carolina?

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 61° (ENE) and 118° (ESE), and sunset between 242° (WSW) and 299° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Columbia, South Carolina?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 29° 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 Columbia, South Carolina?

On 4 December at 17:15, 17 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 8 January at 07:30, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Columbia, South Carolina?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 2 minutes longer, by 31 January 38 minutes longer and by 28 February 1 h 32 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 4 December.

What time does it get dark in Columbia, South Carolina in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 17:15 and the sky is dark by about 17:42, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 17:25 and darkness at about 17:53.