Sun position in Dar es Salaam

Where the sun stands over Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (-6.8235°, 39.2695°) - 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 Dar es Salaam on 4 November 2026

Local time in Dar es Salaam, UTC+3, with no daylight saving time.
Sunrise	05:55	rises toward ESE (106°)
Solar noon	12:06	sun 81.4° above the horizon
Sunset	18:18	sets toward WSW (254°)
Day length	12 h 22 min
Civil dawn	05:34	first usable light
Civil dusk	18:39	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	05:55–06:24	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	17:49–18:18	warm low light
Shadow at noon	0.15 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for -6.8235°, 39.2695° 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 Dar es Salaam.

The sun’s path over Dar es Salaam

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, 4 November
21 June
Equinox, March and September
21 December

The sun's altitude against its compass bearing over Dar es Salaam. On 21 June the sun rises at 66° (ENE), climbs to 59.7° at solar noon and sets at 294° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 114° (ESE), climbs to 73.4° at solar noon and sets at 246° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Dar es Salaam

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	06:18	18:47	12 h 29 min	75.7°	0.3 m
February	06:27	18:47	12 h 19 min	84.2°	0.1 m
March	06:28	18:36	12 h 09 min	85.2°	0.1 m
April	06:24	18:22	11 h 57 min	73.3°	0.3 m
May	06:25	18:13	11 h 48 min	64.3°	0.5 m
June	06:32	18:15	11 h 44 min	59.9°	0.6 m
July	06:36	18:22	11 h 46 min	61.7°	0.5 m
August	06:31	18:24	11 h 53 min	69.2°	0.4 m
September	06:16	18:20	12 h 04 min	80.2°	0.2 m
October	06:01	18:16	12 h 15 min	88.2°	0.0 m
November	05:55	18:20	12 h 26 min	78.3°	0.2 m
December	06:02	18:34	12 h 31 min	73.5°	0.3 m

At the December solstice the midday sun reaches 73.4° above the horizon in Dar es Salaam and the day lasts 12 h 31 min. At the June solstice the sun climbs only to 59.7° and the day shrinks to 11 h 44 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.

Dar es Salaam through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	22 December	12 h 31 min, 06:06–18:37
Shortest day	21 June	11 h 44 min, 06:33–18:17
Earliest sunrise	14 November	05:55
Latest sunrise	17 July	06:36
Earliest sunset	24 May	18:13
Latest sunset	30 January	18:48
Highest midday sun	3 March	89.9°, straight overhead
Lowest midday sun	21 June	59.7°
Sunrise direction	through the year	66° ENE (21 June) to 114° ESE (22 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	246° WSW (21 December) to 294° WNW (21 June)

From 11 October to 2 March the midday sun stands south of the zenith, and the rest of the year to the north: in Dar es Salaam even a south-facing window gets the noon sun for part of the year.
The sun passes straight overhead at solar noon on 3 March and 10 October: for a moment upright posts, people and buildings cast no shadow at all.
Sunset in Dar es Salaam moves more with the drift of solar noon than with the seasons: the earliest is at 18:13 on 24 May and the latest at 18:48 on 30 January.
Day length barely changes in Dar es Salaam: the longest day is only 48 minutes longer than the shortest.

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 Dar es Salaam

Solar panels

At 6.8° S a fixed array facing due north collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 8°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates -6.8235°, 39.2695° 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 June solstice the noon sun in Dar es Salaam sits 59.7° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 0.6 times its own height at midday. Check what stands to the north before you commit: place the building on the map and read the shaded hours for 21 June.

Photography

Golden hour runs 05:55–06:24 in the morning and 17:49–18:18 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (254°). 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 Dar es Salaam

On the same latitude

Dar es Salaam lies at 6.8° S. 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:

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Dar es Salaam

What time is sunrise and sunset in Dar es Salaam today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 05:55 and sets at 18:18 in Dar es Salaam (UTC+3), giving 12 h 22 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Dar es Salaam today?

Solar noon is at 12:06, when the sun stands due south, 81.4° 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 Dar es Salaam?

On 22 December, with 12 h 31 min between sunrise at 06:06 and sunset at 18:37.

When is the shortest day of the year in Dar es Salaam?

On 21 June, with 11 h 44 min between sunrise at 06:33 and sunset at 18:17.

How high does the sun get in Dar es Salaam?

At solar noon the sun reaches 89.9° on 3 March, its highest of the year, and only 59.7° on 21 June. Today it climbs to 81.4°.

In which direction does the sun rise and set in Dar es Salaam?

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 66° (ENE) and 114° (ESE), and sunset between 246° (WSW) and 294° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Dar es Salaam?

Facing due north (azimuth 0°) at a tilt of about 8° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

When is the sun directly overhead in Dar es Salaam?

At solar noon on 3 March and 10 October. On those days upright objects cast no shadow at midday.