Sun position in Raleigh

Where the sun stands over Raleigh, United States (35.7721°, -78.6386°) - 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 Raleigh on 3 November 2026

Local time in Raleigh, UTC-5 (standard time). On 14 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 06:28 to 07:27.
Sunrise	06:39	rises toward ESE (108°)
Solar noon	11:58	sun 39.0° above the horizon
Sunset	17:17	sets toward WSW (252°)
Day length	10 h 38 min
Civil dawn	06:12	first usable light
Civil dusk	17:44	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	06:39–07:15	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	16:41–17:17	warm low light
Shadow at noon	1.23 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 35.7721°, -78.6386° 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 Raleigh.

The sun’s path over Raleigh

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 Raleigh. On 21 June the sun rises at 60° (ENE), climbs to 77.7° at solar noon and sets at 300° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 119° (ESE), climbs to 30.8° at solar noon and sets at 241° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Raleigh

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	07:24	17:25	10 h 01 min	33.2°	1.5 m
February	07:01	17:56	10 h 55 min	41.7°	1.1 m
March	07:25	19:22	11 h 57 min	52.3°	0.8 m
April	06:42	19:48	13 h 06 min	64.2°	0.5 m
May	06:09	20:13	14 h 04 min	73.2°	0.3 m
June	05:58	20:32	14 h 34 min	77.6°	0.2 m
July	06:10	20:31	14 h 21 min	75.7°	0.3 m
August	06:33	20:04	13 h 31 min	68.1°	0.4 m
September	06:57	19:22	12 h 24 min	57.1°	0.6 m
October	07:21	18:39	11 h 18 min	45.5°	1 m
November	06:51	17:07	10 h 17 min	35.6°	1.4 m
December	07:17	17:02	9 h 45 min	30.9°	1.7 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 77.7° above the horizon in Raleigh and the day lasts 14 h 35 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 30.8° and the day shrinks to 9 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.

Raleigh through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	14 h 35 min, 05:59–20:34
Shortest day	21 December	9 h 44 min, 07:21–17:05
Earliest sunrise	13 June	05:58
Latest sunrise	31 October	07:36
Earliest sunset	5 December	17:01
Latest sunset	28 June	20:35
Highest midday sun	21 June	77.7°
Lowest midday sun	21 December	30.8°
Sunrise direction	through the year	60° ENE (21 June) to 119° ESE (21 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	241° WSW (21 December) to 300° WNW (20 June)

At solar noon the sun in Raleigh 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 Raleigh is 4 h 51 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 2.3 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 Raleigh

Solar panels

At 35.8° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 30°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 35.7721°, -78.6386° 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 Raleigh sits 30.8° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 1.7 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 06:39–07:15 in the morning and 16:41–17:17 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (252°). 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 Raleigh

On the same latitude

Raleigh lies at 35.8° 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 Raleigh

What time is sunrise and sunset in Raleigh today?

On 3 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:39 and sets at 17:17 in Raleigh (UTC-5), giving 10 h 38 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Raleigh today?

Solar noon is at 11:58, when the sun stands due south, 39.0° 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 Raleigh?

On 21 June, with 14 h 35 min between sunrise at 05:59 and sunset at 20:34.

When is the shortest day of the year in Raleigh?

On 21 December, with 9 h 44 min between sunrise at 07:21 and sunset at 17:05.

How high does the sun get in Raleigh?

At solar noon the sun reaches 77.7° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 30.8° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 39.0°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 60° (ENE) and 119° (ESE), and sunset between 241° (WSW) and 300° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Raleigh?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 30° 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 Raleigh?

On 5 December at 17:01, 16 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 7 January at 07:25, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Raleigh?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 3 minutes longer, by 31 January 41 minutes longer and by 28 February 1 h 39 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 5 December.

What time does it get dark in Raleigh in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 17:01 and the sky is dark by about 17:29, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 17:11 and darkness at about 17:39.