Sun position in Portland, Maine

Where the sun stands over Portland, Maine, United States (43.6574°, -70.2589°) - 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 Portland, Maine on 4 November 2026

Local time in Portland, Maine, UTC-5 (standard time). On 14 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 05:57 to 06:55.
Sunrise	06:21	rises toward ESE (111°)
Solar noon	11:25	sun 30.8° above the horizon
Sunset	16:28	sets toward WSW (249°)
Day length	10 h 07 min
Civil dawn	05:51	first usable light
Civil dusk	16:58	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	06:21–07:02	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	15:46–16:28	warm low light
Shadow at noon	1.68 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 43.6574°, -70.2589° 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 Portland, Maine.

The sun’s path over Portland, Maine

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 Portland, Maine. On 21 June the sun rises at 56° (NE), climbs to 69.8° at solar noon and sets at 304° (NW). On 21 December the sun rises at 122° (ESE), climbs to 22.9° at solar noon and sets at 238° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Portland, Maine

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	07:11	16:30	9 h 19 min	25.3°	2.1 m
February	06:39	17:11	10 h 32 min	33.8°	1.5 m
March	06:53	18:47	11 h 54 min	44.4°	1 m
April	05:58	19:25	13 h 26 min	56.3°	0.7 m
May	05:16	20:00	14 h 44 min	65.3°	0.5 m
June	04:59	20:24	15 h 26 min	69.7°	0.4 m
July	05:13	20:20	15 h 07 min	67.8°	0.4 m
August	05:46	19:45	13 h 59 min	60.2°	0.6 m
September	06:20	18:51	12 h 31 min	49.2°	0.9 m
October	06:55	17:58	11 h 02 min	37.6°	1.3 m
November	06:35	16:16	9 h 40 min	27.7°	1.9 m
December	07:08	16:05	8 h 57 min	23.1°	2.3 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 69.8° above the horizon in Portland, Maine and the day lasts 15 h 27 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 22.9° and the day shrinks to 8 h 56 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.

Portland, Maine through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	15 h 27 min, 05:00–20:26
Shortest day	21 December	8 h 56 min, 07:11–16:07
Earliest sunrise	15 June	04:59
Latest sunrise	31 October	07:16
Earliest sunset	9 December	16:04
Latest sunset	26 June	20:27
Highest midday sun	21 June	69.8°
Lowest midday sun	21 December	22.9°
Sunrise direction	through the year	56° NE (21 June) to 122° ESE (21 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	238° WSW (21 December) to 304° NW (20 June)

At solar noon the sun in Portland, Maine 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 Portland, Maine is 6 h 31 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 3.0 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 Portland, Maine

Solar panels

At 43.7° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 36°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 43.6574°, -70.2589° 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 Portland, Maine sits 22.9° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 2.4 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 06:21–07:02 in the morning and 15:46–16:28 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (249°). 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 Portland, Maine

On the same latitude

Portland, Maine lies at 43.7° 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 Portland, Maine

What time is sunrise and sunset in Portland, Maine today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:21 and sets at 16:28 in Portland, Maine (UTC-5), giving 10 h 07 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Portland, Maine today?

Solar noon is at 11:25, when the sun stands due south, 30.8° 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 Portland, Maine?

On 21 June, with 15 h 27 min between sunrise at 05:00 and sunset at 20:26.

When is the shortest day of the year in Portland, Maine?

On 21 December, with 8 h 56 min between sunrise at 07:11 and sunset at 16:07.

How high does the sun get in Portland, Maine?

At solar noon the sun reaches 69.8° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 22.9° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 30.8°.

In which direction does the sun rise and set in Portland, Maine?

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 56° (NE) and 122° (ESE), and sunset between 238° (WSW) and 304° (NW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Portland, Maine?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 36° 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 Portland, Maine?

On 9 December at 16:04, 12 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 3 January at 07:15, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Portland, Maine?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 4 minutes longer, by 31 January 56 minutes longer and by 28 February 2 h 13 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 9 December.

What time does it get dark in Portland, Maine in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 16:05 and the sky is dark by about 16:38, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 16:14 and darkness at about 16:47.