Sunrise, sunset & golden hour in Chicago
On 24 July 2026, Chicago has sunrise at 05:36 and sunset at 20:17, 14h 41m of daylight. The evening golden hour runs 19:37–20:36.
Computed with the NOAA solar model for 24 July 2026. Rebuild daily to keep current.
Golden hour, blue hour & daylight in Chicago
Golden hour is the soft, warm light while the sun sits between −4° and +6° of the horizon, a photographer's favourite window. Blue hour is the cooler stretch on the far side, the sun between −6° and −4°. The exact times shift a little every day, so the windows above are computed for today with the NOAA solar model.
Chicago sits at 41.9° N, in the temperate band. That means daylight swings from about 15h 14m at the June solstice down to 9h 8m around Christmas, a clear seasonal shift. The higher the latitude, the longer and more dramatic golden hour becomes.
Daylight through the year in Chicago
Chicago is in summer right now. Between the shortest and longest month the day length swings by 6.1 hours.
Hours from sunrise to sunset, sampled mid-month and computed from the NOAA solar algorithm. This is available daylight, not measured sunshine: cloud cover is weather, not astronomy.
FAQ
When is golden hour in Chicago today?
Evening golden hour is 19:37–20:36; morning is 05:17–06:17.
How many hours of daylight does Chicago get?
14h 41m on 24 July 2026.