Sun position in Utrecht

Where the sun stands over Utrecht, Netherlands (52.0908°, 5.1222°) - 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+1
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Sun times in Utrecht on 4 November 2026

Local time in Utrecht, UTC+1 (standard time). On 28 March 2027 the clocks go forward one hour, so sunrise moves from 06:27 to 07:24.
Sunrise	07:40	rises toward ESE (114°)
Solar noon	12:23	sun 22.5° above the horizon
Sunset	17:06	sets toward WSW (245°)
Day length	9 h 26 min
Civil dawn	07:04	first usable light
Civil dusk	17:42	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	07:40–08:31	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	16:14–17:06	warm low light
Shadow at noon	2.42 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for 52.0908°, 5.1222° 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 Utrecht.

The sun’s path over Utrecht

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 Utrecht. On 21 June the sun rises at 48° (NE), climbs to 61.3° at solar noon and sets at 312° (NW). On 21 December the sun rises at 129° (SE), climbs to 14.5° at solar noon and sets at 231° (SW).

The sun through the year in Utrecht

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	08:41	16:57	8 h 16 min	16.8°	3.3 m
February	07:55	17:53	9 h 58 min	25.3°	2.1 m
March	06:54	18:44	11 h 50 min	35.9°	1.4 m
April	06:43	20:37	13 h 54 min	47.8°	0.9 m
May	05:45	21:27	15 h 42 min	56.8°	0.7 m
June	05:18	22:02	16 h 43 min	61.2°	0.5 m
July	05:37	21:53	16 h 16 min	59.4°	0.6 m
August	06:23	21:04	14 h 41 min	51.9°	0.8 m
September	07:14	19:55	12 h 41 min	40.8°	1.2 m
October	08:04	18:46	10 h 41 min	29.3°	1.8 m
November	08:00	16:48	8 h 48 min	19.4°	2.8 m
December	08:42	16:28	7 h 46 min	14.6°	3.8 m

At the June solstice the midday sun reaches 61.3° above the horizon in Utrecht and the day lasts 16 h 45 min. At the December solstice the sun climbs only to 14.5° and the day shrinks to 7 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.

Utrecht through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	21 June	16 h 45 min, 05:19–22:04
Shortest day	21 December	7 h 44 min, 08:46–16:29
Earliest sunrise	17 June	05:18
Latest sunrise	30 December	08:48
Earliest sunset	13 December	16:27
Latest sunset	25 June	22:04
Highest midday sun	21 June	61.3°
Lowest midday sun	21 December	14.5°
Sunrise direction	through the year	48° NE (21 June) to 129° SE (22 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	231° SW (21 December) to 312° NW (21 June)

At solar noon the sun in Utrecht always stands due south, so the south side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
From 19 May to 22 July the sky over Utrecht never gets fully dark: the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night, so there is no true astronomical night.
The earliest sunset is on 13 December, 8 days before the shortest day (21 December), and the latest sunrise on 30 December, 9 days after it. Solar noon drifts through the year, so the darkest afternoon and the darkest morning do not fall on the shortest day.
The longest day in Utrecht is 9 h 02 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 4.1 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 Utrecht

Solar panels

At 52.1° N a fixed array facing due south collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 43°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates 52.0908°, 5.1222° 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 Utrecht sits 14.5° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 3.9 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 07:40–08:31 in the morning and 16:14–17:06 in the evening today, and the sun sets toward WSW (245°). 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 Utrecht

On the same latitude

Utrecht lies at 52.1° 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 4 cities in the Netherlands →

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Utrecht

What time is sunrise and sunset in Utrecht today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 07:40 and sets at 17:06 in Utrecht (UTC+1), giving 9 h 26 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Utrecht today?

Solar noon is at 12:23, when the sun stands due south, 22.5° 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 Utrecht?

On 21 June, with 16 h 45 min between sunrise at 05:19 and sunset at 22:04.

When is the shortest day of the year in Utrecht?

On 21 December, with 7 h 44 min between sunrise at 08:46 and sunset at 16:29.

How high does the sun get in Utrecht?

At solar noon the sun reaches 61.3° on 21 June, its highest of the year, and only 14.5° on 21 December. Today it climbs to 22.5°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 48° (NE) and 129° (SE), and sunset between 231° (SW) and 312° (NW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Utrecht?

Facing due south (azimuth 180°) at a tilt of about 43° for the most energy over a year. A steeper tilt favours the winter months and a flatter one the summer.

Does it get dark in Utrecht in summer?

Not fully. From 19 May to 22 July the sun stays less than 18° below the horizon all night.

When is the earliest sunset in Utrecht?

On 13 December at 16:27, 8 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 30 December at 08:48, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Utrecht?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 December, but slowly at first: by 31 December the day is only 5 minutes longer, by 31 January 1 h 19 min longer and by 28 February 3 h 05 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 13 December.

What time does it get dark in Utrecht in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 16:31 and the sky is dark by about 17:11, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 16:37 and darkness at about 17:18.