Sun position in Pittsburgh

Where the sun stands over Pittsburgh, United States (40.4406°, -79.9959°) - 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 Pittsburgh on 3 November 2026

Local time in Pittsburgh, UTC-5 (standard time). On 14 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 06:35 to 07:33.
Sunrise06:52rises toward ESE (109°)
Solar noon12:04sun 34.3° above the horizon
Sunset17:14sets toward WSW (250°)
Day length10 h 22 min 
Civil dawn06:24first usable light
Civil dusk17:43last usable light
Golden hour, morning06:52–07:31warm low light
Golden hour, evening16:35–17:14warm low light
Shadow at noon1.46 mper metre of height

Times are computed for 40.4406°, -79.9959° 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 Pittsburgh.

The sun’s path over Pittsburgh

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 Pittsburgh 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80° 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 Pittsburgh. On 21 June the sun rises at 58° (ENE), climbs to 73.0° at solar noon and sets at 302° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 121° (ESE), climbs to 26.1° at solar noon and sets at 239° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Pittsburgh

Sunrise, sunset, day length, noon altitude and noon shadow on the 15th of each month, on the local clock
MonthSunriseSunsetDay lengthNoon altitudeNoon shadow
January07:4117:189 h 37 min28.5°1.8 m
February07:1317:5510 h 42 min37.1°1.3 m
March07:3119:2711 h 55 min47.6°0.9 m
April06:4119:5913 h 18 min59.5°0.6 m
May06:0420:3014 h 26 min68.5°0.4 m
June05:4920:5215 h 03 min72.9°0.3 m
July06:0320:4914 h 46 min71.0°0.3 m
August06:3120:1713 h 46 min63.4°0.5 m
September07:0119:2912 h 28 min52.4°0.8 m
October07:3118:4011 h 09 min40.9°1.2 m
November07:0617:039 h 56 min30.9°1.7 m
December07:3616:549 h 18 min26.3°2 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 73.0° above the horizon in Pittsburgh and the day lasts 15 h 04 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 26.1° and the day shrinks to 9 h 17 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.

Pittsburgh through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day21 June15 h 04 min, 05:50–20:54
Shortest day21 December9 h 17 min, 07:40–16:57
Earliest sunrise14 June05:49
Latest sunrise31 October07:49
Earliest sunset7 December16:53
Latest sunset27 June20:54
Highest midday sun21 June73.0°
Lowest midday sun21 December26.1°
Sunrise directionthrough the year58° ENE (21 June) to 121° ESE (21 December)
Sunset directionthrough the year239° WSW (21 December) to 302° WNW (20 June)
  • At solar noon the sun in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh is 5 h 47 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 2.7 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 Pittsburgh

Solar panels

At 40.4° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 34°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 40.4406°, -79.9959° 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 Pittsburgh sits 26.1° 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 06:52–07:31 in the morning and 16:35–17:14 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (250°). 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 Pittsburgh

On the same latitude

Pittsburgh lies at 40.4° 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 Pittsburgh

What time is sunrise and sunset in Pittsburgh today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:52 and sets at 17:14 in Pittsburgh (UTC-5), giving 10 h 22 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Pittsburgh today?

Solar noon is at 12:04, when the sun stands due south, 34.3° 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 Pittsburgh?

On 21 June, with 15 h 04 min between sunrise at 05:50 and sunset at 20:54.

When is the shortest day of the year in Pittsburgh?

On 21 December, with 9 h 17 min between sunrise at 07:40 and sunset at 16:57.

How high does the sun get in Pittsburgh?

At solar noon the sun reaches 73.0° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 26.1° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 34.3°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 58° (ENE) and 121° (ESE), and sunset between 239° (WSW) and 302° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Pittsburgh?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 34° 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 Pittsburgh?

On 7 December at 16:53, 14 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 4 January at 07:43, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Pittsburgh?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 3 minutes longer, by 31 January 49 minutes longer and by 28 February 1 h 58 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 7 December.

What time does it get dark in Pittsburgh in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 16:54 and the sky is dark by about 17:24, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 17:03 and darkness at about 17:34.