Sun position in Indianapolis

Where the sun stands over Indianapolis, United States (39.7684°, -86.158°) - 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 Indianapolis on 3 November 2026

Local time in Indianapolis, UTC-5 (standard time). On 14 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 06:59 to 07:58.
Sunrise	07:16	rises toward ESE (109°)
Solar noon	12:28	sun 35.0° above the horizon
Sunset	17:40	sets toward WSW (251°)
Day length	10 h 24 min
Civil dawn	06:48	first usable light
Civil dusk	18:08	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	07:16–07:54	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	17:02–17:40	warm low light
Shadow at noon	1.43 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 39.7684°, -86.158° 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 Indianapolis.

The sun’s path over Indianapolis

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 Indianapolis. On 21 June the sun rises at 58° (ENE), climbs to 73.7° at solar noon and sets at 302° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 120° (ESE), climbs to 26.8° at solar noon and sets at 240° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Indianapolis

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	08:04	17:45	9 h 41 min	29.2°	1.8 m
February	07:37	18:21	10 h 44 min	37.7°	1.3 m
March	07:56	19:52	11 h 56 min	48.3°	0.9 m
April	07:07	20:23	13 h 16 min	60.2°	0.6 m
May	06:30	20:53	14 h 23 min	69.2°	0.4 m
June	06:16	21:15	14 h 59 min	73.6°	0.3 m
July	06:29	21:12	14 h 42 min	71.7°	0.3 m
August	06:57	20:41	13 h 44 min	64.1°	0.5 m
September	07:26	19:53	12 h 27 min	53.0°	0.8 m
October	07:55	19:05	11 h 10 min	41.5°	1.1 m
November	07:29	17:29	9 h 59 min	31.6°	1.6 m
December	07:59	17:21	9 h 22 min	26.9°	2 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 73.7° above the horizon in Indianapolis and the day lasts 14 h 59 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 26.8° and the day shrinks to 9 h 21 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.

Indianapolis through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	14 h 59 min, 06:17–21:16
Shortest day	21 December	9 h 21 min, 08:02–17:23
Earliest sunrise	14 June	06:16
Latest sunrise	31 October	08:12
Earliest sunset	7 December	17:20
Latest sunset	27 June	21:17
Highest midday sun	21 June	73.7°
Lowest midday sun	21 December	26.8°
Sunrise direction	through the year	58° ENE (21 June) to 120° ESE (21 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	240° WSW (21 December) to 302° WNW (20 June)

At solar noon the sun in Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis is 5 h 38 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 2.6 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 Indianapolis

Solar panels

At 39.8° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 33°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 39.7684°, -86.158° 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 Indianapolis sits 26.8° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 2 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 07:16–07:54 in the morning and 17:02–17:40 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (251°). 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 Indianapolis

On the same latitude

Indianapolis lies at 39.8° 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 Indianapolis

What time is sunrise and sunset in Indianapolis today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 07:16 and sets at 17:40 in Indianapolis (UTC-5), giving 10 h 24 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Indianapolis today?

Solar noon is at 12:28, when the sun stands due south, 35.0° 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 Indianapolis?

On 21 June, with 14 h 59 min between sunrise at 06:17 and sunset at 21:16.

When is the shortest day of the year in Indianapolis?

On 21 December, with 9 h 21 min between sunrise at 08:02 and sunset at 17:23.

How high does the sun get in Indianapolis?

At solar noon the sun reaches 73.7° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 26.8° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 35.0°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 58° (ENE) and 120° (ESE), and sunset between 240° (WSW) and 302° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Indianapolis?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 33° 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 Indianapolis?

On 7 December at 17:20, 14 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 5 January at 08:06, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Indianapolis?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 3 minutes longer, by 31 January 48 minutes longer and by 28 February 1 h 55 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 7 December.

What time does it get dark in Indianapolis in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 17:21 and the sky is dark by about 17:50, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 17:30 and darkness at about 18:00.