Sun position in Quito

Where the sun stands over Quito, Ecuador (-0.2298°, -78.525°) - today's sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length and shadow length, plus the sun path across the whole year.

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Local time UTC-5
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Sun times in Quito on 3 November 2026

Local time in Quito, UTC-5, with no daylight saving time.
Sunrise	05:54	rises toward ESE (105°)
Solar noon	11:58	sun 75.0° above the horizon
Sunset	18:01	sets toward WSW (255°)
Day length	12 h 07 min
Civil dawn	05:33	first usable light
Civil dusk	18:23	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	05:54–06:22	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	17:33–18:01	warm low light
Shadow at noon	0.27 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for -0.2298°, -78.525° 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 Quito.

The sun’s path over Quito

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 Quito. On 21 June the sun rises at 67° (ENE), climbs to 66.3° at solar noon and sets at 293° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 113° (ESE), climbs to 66.8° at solar noon and sets at 247° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Quito

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	06:20	18:28	12 h 08 min	69.2°	0.4 m
February	06:25	18:32	12 h 07 min	77.7°	0.2 m
March	06:20	18:26	12 h 07 min	88.3°	0.0 m
April	06:11	18:17	12 h 06 min	79.8°	0.2 m
May	06:07	18:14	12 h 06 min	70.8°	0.3 m
June	06:11	18:18	12 h 07 min	66.4°	0.4 m
July	06:17	18:23	12 h 06 min	68.3°	0.4 m
August	06:15	18:22	12 h 06 min	75.9°	0.3 m
September	06:06	18:12	12 h 06 min	86.9°	0.1 m
October	05:56	18:03	12 h 07 min	81.5°	0.1 m
November	05:55	18:03	12 h 08 min	71.6°	0.3 m
December	06:05	18:13	12 h 08 min	66.9°	0.4 m

At the December solstice the midday sun reaches 66.8° above the horizon in Quito and the day lasts 12 h 08 min. At the June solstice the sun climbs only to 66.3° and the day shrinks to 12 h 07 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.

Quito through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 December	12 h 08 min, 06:08–18:16
Shortest day	24 August	12 h 06 min, 06:13–18:20
Earliest sunrise	4 November	05:54
Latest sunrise	12 February	06:25
Earliest sunset	2 November	18:01
Latest sunset	10 February	18:32
Highest midday sun	23 September	90.0°, straight overhead
Lowest midday sun	21 June	66.3°
Sunrise direction	through the year	67° ENE (21 June) to 113° ESE (21 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	247° WSW (21 December) to 293° WNW (20 June)

From 23 September to 19 March the midday sun stands south of the zenith, and the rest of the year to the north: in Quito even a south-facing window gets the noon sun for part of the year.
The sun passes straight overhead at solar noon on 19 March and 23 September: for a moment upright posts, people and buildings cast no shadow at all.
Sunset in Quito moves more with the drift of solar noon than with the seasons: the earliest is at 18:01 on 2 November and the latest at 18:32 on 10 February.
Day length barely changes in Quito: the longest day is only 2 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 Quito

Solar panels

At 0.2° S a fixed array facing due north collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 3°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates -0.2298°, -78.525° 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 Quito sits 66.3° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 0.4 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 05:54–06:22 in the morning and 17:33–18:01 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (255°). 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 Quito

On the same latitude

Quito lies at 0.2° 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 Quito

What time is sunrise and sunset in Quito today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 05:54 and sets at 18:01 in Quito (UTC-5), giving 12 h 07 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Quito today?

Solar noon is at 11:58, when the sun stands due south, 75.0° 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 Quito?

On 21 December, with 12 h 08 min between sunrise at 06:08 and sunset at 18:16.

When is the shortest day of the year in Quito?

On 24 August, with 12 h 06 min between sunrise at 06:13 and sunset at 18:20.

How high does the sun get in Quito?

At solar noon the sun reaches 90.0° on 23 September, its highest of the year, and only 66.3° on 21 June. Today it climbs to 75.0°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 67° (ENE) and 113° (ESE), and sunset between 247° (WSW) and 293° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Quito?

Facing due north (azimuth 0°) at a tilt of about 3° 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 Quito?

At solar noon on 19 March and 23 September. On those days upright objects cast no shadow at midday.