The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Chicago in October
On October 1 in Chicago the sun rises at 06:50 and sets at 18:29; on day 31 it rises at 07:25 and sets at 17:43. Over the month the day gets 81 minutes shorter.
Where does the sun rise and set in Chicago in October?
Mid-October in Chicago: the sun rises in the east — a bearing of 102°, measured from true north — and sets in the west, at 258°. That is 12° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 12° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 15° south.
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 | 06:22 | 06:50 | 18:29 | 18:56 | 11 h 39 min |
| 2 | 06:23 | 06:51 | 18:27 | 18:55 | 11 h 36 min |
| 3 | 06:24 | 06:52 | 18:25 | 18:53 | 11 h 33 min |
| 4 | 06:26 | 06:53 | 18:23 | 18:51 | 11 h 30 min |
| 5 | 06:27 | 06:54 | 18:22 | 18:50 | 11 h 27 min |
| 6 | 06:28 | 06:56 | 18:20 | 18:48 | 11 h 24 min |
| 7 | 06:29 | 06:57 | 18:18 | 18:46 | 11 h 22 min |
| 8 | 06:30 | 06:58 | 18:17 | 18:45 | 11 h 19 min |
| 9 | 06:31 | 06:59 | 18:15 | 18:43 | 11 h 16 min |
| 10 | 06:32 | 07:00 | 18:13 | 18:41 | 11 h 13 min |
| 11 | 06:33 | 07:01 | 18:12 | 18:40 | 11 h 10 min |
| 12 | 06:34 | 07:02 | 18:10 | 18:38 | 11 h 08 min |
| 13 | 06:36 | 07:04 | 18:09 | 18:37 | 11 h 05 min |
| 14 | 06:37 | 07:05 | 18:07 | 18:35 | 11 h 02 min |
| 15 | 06:38 | 07:06 | 18:05 | 18:34 | 10 h 59 min |
| 16 | 06:39 | 07:07 | 18:04 | 18:32 | 10 h 57 min |
| 17 | 06:40 | 07:08 | 18:02 | 18:31 | 10 h 54 min |
| 18 | 06:41 | 07:09 | 18:01 | 18:29 | 10 h 51 min |
| 19 | 06:42 | 07:11 | 17:59 | 18:28 | 10 h 49 min |
| 20 | 06:43 | 07:12 | 17:58 | 18:26 | 10 h 46 min |
| 21 | 06:45 | 07:13 | 17:56 | 18:25 | 10 h 43 min |
| 22 | 06:46 | 07:14 | 17:55 | 18:23 | 10 h 41 min |
| 23 | 06:47 | 07:15 | 17:53 | 18:22 | 10 h 38 min |
| 24 | 06:48 | 07:17 | 17:52 | 18:21 | 10 h 35 min |
| 25 | 06:49 | 07:18 | 17:51 | 18:19 | 10 h 33 min |
| 26 | 06:50 | 07:19 | 17:49 | 18:18 | 10 h 30 min |
| 27 | 06:51 | 07:20 | 17:48 | 18:17 | 10 h 28 min |
| 28 | 06:53 | 07:21 | 17:47 | 18:16 | 10 h 25 min |
| 29 | 06:54 | 07:23 | 17:45 | 18:14 | 10 h 23 min |
| 30 | 06:55 | 07:24 | 17:44 | 18:13 | 10 h 20 min |
| 31 | 06:56 | 07:25 | 17:43 | 18:12 | 10 h 18 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in October?
In October, the typical synthesis window in Chicago runs from 12:00 to 15:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~15 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Chicago vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Chicago in October
- Where does the sun set in Chicago in October?
- Mid-October in Chicago: the sun sets in the west, a bearing of 258° measured from true north, which is 12° south of due west. It rises in the east, at 102°. Over the month both points shift 15° south.
- How much daylight does Chicago lose in October?
- Over October the day gets 81 minutes shorter in Chicago: on October 1 the sun rises at 06:50 and sets at 18:29, and on day 31 it rises at 07:25 and sets at 17:43.
- How many hours of daylight does Chicago get in October?
- In mid-October the day lasts 10 h 59 min in Chicago, from sunrise at 07:06 to sunset at 18:05. 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 October?
- In mid-October the sky starts to get light at 06:38 in Chicago, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 07:06. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Chicago in October?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-October in Chicago the sun sets at 18:05, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 18:34, 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 October?
- In mid-October, between 12:00 and 15:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Chicago, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 15 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.