Sun position in Wellington

Where the sun stands over Wellington, New Zealand (-41.2866°, 174.7756°) - today's sunrise, sunset, solar noon, day length and shadow length, plus the sun path across the whole year.

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Updated daily
Local time UTC+13
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Sun times in Wellington on 4 November 2026

Local time in Wellington, UTC+13 (daylight saving time). On 4 April 2027 the clocks go back one hour, so sunrise moves from 07:38 to 06:39.
Sunrise	06:04	rises toward ESE (111°)
Solar noon	13:04	sun 64.0° above the horizon
Sunset	20:05	sets toward WSW (249°)
Day length	14 h 01 min
Civil dawn	05:34	first usable light
Civil dusk	20:35	last usable light
Golden hour, morning	06:04–06:43	warm low light
Golden hour, evening	19:27–20:05	warm low light
Shadow at noon	0.49 m	per metre of height

Times are computed for -41.2866°, 174.7756° 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 Wellington.

The sun’s path over Wellington

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 Wellington. On 21 June the sun rises at 59° (ENE), climbs to 25.3° at solar noon and sets at 301° (WNW). On 21 December the sun rises at 123° (ESE), climbs to 72.1° at solar noon and sets at 237° (WSW).

The sun through the year in Wellington

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	06:05	20:55	14 h 49 min	69.9°	0.4 m
February	06:44	20:25	13 h 41 min	61.5°	0.5 m
March	07:17	19:42	12 h 24 min	50.9°	0.8 m
April	06:51	17:51	11 h 00 min	39.0°	1.2 m
May	07:22	17:12	9 h 50 min	29.9°	1.7 m
June	07:45	16:58	9 h 13 min	25.4°	2.1 m
July	07:43	17:11	9 h 28 min	27.2°	1.9 m
August	07:12	17:39	10 h 27 min	34.6°	1.4 m
September	06:23	18:10	11 h 47 min	45.6°	1 m
October	06:33	19:42	13 h 09 min	57.2°	0.6 m
November	05:53	20:19	14 h 26 min	67.1°	0.4 m
December	05:42	20:50	15 h 08 min	72.0°	0.3 m

At the December solstice the midday sun reaches 72.1° above the horizon in Wellington and the day lasts 15 h 10 min. At the June solstice the sun climbs only to 25.3° and the day shrinks to 9 h 11 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.

Wellington through 2026 at a glance

The extremes of 2026, on the local clock
Longest day	22 December	15 h 10 min, 05:44–20:54
Shortest day	21 June	9 h 11 min, 07:47–16:58
Earliest sunrise	9 December	05:41
Latest sunrise	28 June	07:48
Earliest sunset	14 June	16:58
Latest sunset	3 January	20:57
Highest midday sun	22 December	72.2°
Lowest midday sun	21 June	25.3°
Sunrise direction	through the year	59° ENE (22 June) to 123° ESE (22 December)
Sunset direction	through the year	237° WSW (22 December) to 301° WNW (21 June)

At solar noon the sun in Wellington always stands due north, so the north side of a building, a garden or a roof is the one that gets the sun.
The earliest sunset is on 14 June, 7 days before the shortest day (21 June), and the latest sunrise on 28 June, 7 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 Wellington is 5 h 58 min longer than the shortest, and around the equinoxes the days grow or shrink by up to 2.8 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 Wellington

Solar panels

At 41.3° S a fixed array facing due north collects the most over a year at a tilt of about 34°. Use the solar panel angle calculator with the coordinates -41.2866°, 174.7756° 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 Wellington sits 25.3° above the horizon, so every obstacle casts a shadow 2.1 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 06:04–06:43 in the morning and 19:27–20:05 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 Wellington

On the same latitude

Wellington lies at 41.3° 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:

Sun position in HobartAustralia • 42.9° S

Sunrise and sunset in all 6 cities in New Zealand →

See all cities with sun position data →

Questions

Sun questions about Wellington

What time is sunrise and sunset in Wellington today?

On 4 November 2026 the sun rises at 06:04 and sets at 20:05 in Wellington (UTC+13), giving 14 h 01 min of daylight.

What time is solar noon in Wellington today?

Solar noon is at 13:04, when the sun stands due north, 64.0° 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 Wellington?

On 22 December, with 15 h 10 min between sunrise at 05:44 and sunset at 20:54.

When is the shortest day of the year in Wellington?

On 21 June, with 9 h 11 min between sunrise at 07:47 and sunset at 16:58.

How high does the sun get in Wellington?

At solar noon the sun reaches 72.2° on 22 December, its highest of the year, and only 25.3° on 21 June. Today it climbs to 64.0°.

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

Due east and due west only around the equinoxes. Through the year sunrise swings between 59° (ENE) and 123° (ESE), and sunset between 237° (WSW) and 301° (WNW).

What is the best angle for solar panels in Wellington?

Facing due north (azimuth 0°) 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 Wellington?

On 14 June at 16:58, 7 days before the shortest day. The latest sunrise is on 28 June at 07:48, so the evenings start getting lighter before the mornings do.

When do the days start getting longer in Wellington?

Straight after the shortest day, 21 June, but slowly at first: by 30 June the day is only 2 minutes longer, by 31 July 43 minutes longer and by 31 August 1 h 56 min longer. The evenings start getting lighter a little earlier, after the earliest sunset on 14 June.

What time does it get dark in Wellington in December?

On 1 December the sun sets at 20:37 and the sky is dark by about 21:10, when civil twilight ends. On 31 December sunset is at 20:57 and darkness at about 21:31.