The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Chicago in December
On December 1 in Chicago the sun rises at 07:01 and sets at 16:20; on day 31 it rises at 07:18 and sets at 16:29. Over the month the day gets 9 minutes shorter.
Where does the sun rise and set in Chicago in December?
Mid-December in Chicago: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 121°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 239°. That is 31° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 31° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points barely move.
Approximate bearings: they can be a couple of degrees out. They are measured from true north, not the north a phone compass points to.
Day by day
All times are local to Chicago. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 06:29 | 07:01 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 20 min |
| 2 | 06:30 | 07:02 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 18 min |
| 3 | 06:31 | 07:03 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 17 min |
| 4 | 06:32 | 07:03 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 16 min |
| 5 | 06:33 | 07:04 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 15 min |
| 6 | 06:34 | 07:05 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 14 min |
| 7 | 06:35 | 07:06 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 13 min |
| 8 | 06:35 | 07:07 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 13 min |
| 9 | 06:36 | 07:08 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 12 min |
| 10 | 06:37 | 07:09 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 11 min |
| 11 | 06:38 | 07:09 | 16:20 | 16:51 | 9 h 11 min |
| 12 | 06:38 | 07:10 | 16:20 | 16:52 | 9 h 10 min |
| 13 | 06:39 | 07:11 | 16:20 | 16:52 | 9 h 09 min |
| 14 | 06:40 | 07:11 | 16:20 | 16:52 | 9 h 09 min |
| 15 | 06:40 | 07:12 | 16:21 | 16:52 | 9 h 09 min |
| 16 | 06:41 | 07:13 | 16:21 | 16:53 | 9 h 08 min |
| 17 | 06:42 | 07:13 | 16:21 | 16:53 | 9 h 08 min |
| 18 | 06:42 | 07:14 | 16:22 | 16:53 | 9 h 08 min |
| 19 | 06:43 | 07:14 | 16:22 | 16:54 | 9 h 08 min |
| 20 | 06:43 | 07:15 | 16:22 | 16:54 | 9 h 08 min |
| 21 | 06:44 | 07:15 | 16:23 | 16:55 | 9 h 08 min |
| 22 | 06:44 | 07:16 | 16:23 | 16:55 | 9 h 08 min |
| 23 | 06:45 | 07:16 | 16:24 | 16:56 | 9 h 08 min |
| 24 | 06:45 | 07:17 | 16:24 | 16:56 | 9 h 08 min |
| 25 | 06:45 | 07:17 | 16:25 | 16:57 | 9 h 08 min |
| 26 | 06:46 | 07:17 | 16:26 | 16:57 | 9 h 08 min |
| 27 | 06:46 | 07:18 | 16:26 | 16:58 | 9 h 09 min |
| 28 | 06:46 | 07:18 | 16:27 | 16:59 | 9 h 09 min |
| 29 | 06:46 | 07:18 | 16:28 | 16:59 | 9 h 10 min |
| 30 | 06:47 | 07:18 | 16:28 | 17:00 | 9 h 10 min |
| 31 | 06:47 | 07:18 | 16:29 | 17:01 | 9 h 11 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in December?
In December the sun doesn't climb high enough in Chicago for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Chicago vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Chicago in December
- Where does the sun set in Chicago in December?
- Mid-December in Chicago: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 239° measured from true north, which is 31° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 121°. Over the month both points barely move.
- How much daylight does Chicago lose in December?
- Over December the day gets 9 minutes shorter in Chicago: on December 1 the sun rises at 07:01 and sets at 16:20, and on day 31 it rises at 07:18 and sets at 16:29.
- How many hours of daylight does Chicago get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 9 h 09 min in Chicago, from sunrise at 07:12 to sunset at 16:21. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Chicago in December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 06:40 in Chicago, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 07:12. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Chicago in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Chicago the sun sets at 16:21, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 16:52, when the sun reaches 6° below the horizon and usable outdoor light runs out. The “Dusk” column of the table gives that time day by day.
- What time of day can you make vitamin D in Chicago in December?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on December 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Chicago, and below that minimum the skin makes no vitamin D, however long you stay out. In December it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.