The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Madrid in December
On December 1 in Madrid the sun rises at 08:21 and sets at 17:49; on day 31 it rises at 08:38 and sets at 17:58. Over the month the day gets 8 minutes shorter.
In Madrid (40.4° latitude), December 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:21 and sets at 17:49 on the 1st, and at 08:38 and 17:58 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 9 h 18 min and the sun reaches 26° above the horizon. Even so, the UV index never reaches 3 at any point in the month: at this latitude and time of year, the ozone layer absorbs UVB before enough of it reaches the ground. So in December there is no vitamin D synthesis in Madrid at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Madrid in December?
Mid-December in Madrid: 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 Madrid. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 07:50 | 08:21 | 17:49 | 18:19 | 9 h 28 min |
| 2 | 07:51 | 08:22 | 17:49 | 18:19 | 9 h 27 min |
| 3 | 07:52 | 08:22 | 17:48 | 18:19 | 9 h 26 min |
| 4 | 07:53 | 08:23 | 17:48 | 18:19 | 9 h 25 min |
| 5 | 07:54 | 08:24 | 17:48 | 18:19 | 9 h 24 min |
| 6 | 07:55 | 08:25 | 17:48 | 18:19 | 9 h 23 min |
| 7 | 07:55 | 08:26 | 17:48 | 18:19 | 9 h 22 min |
| 8 | 07:56 | 08:27 | 17:48 | 18:19 | 9 h 22 min |
| 9 | 07:57 | 08:27 | 17:48 | 18:19 | 9 h 21 min |
| 10 | 07:58 | 08:28 | 17:49 | 18:19 | 9 h 20 min |
| 11 | 07:58 | 08:29 | 17:49 | 18:19 | 9 h 20 min |
| 12 | 07:59 | 08:30 | 17:49 | 18:20 | 9 h 19 min |
| 13 | 08:00 | 08:30 | 17:49 | 18:20 | 9 h 19 min |
| 14 | 08:00 | 08:31 | 17:49 | 18:20 | 9 h 18 min |
| 15 | 08:01 | 08:32 | 17:50 | 18:20 | 9 h 18 min |
| 16 | 08:02 | 08:32 | 17:50 | 18:21 | 9 h 18 min |
| 17 | 08:02 | 08:33 | 17:50 | 18:21 | 9 h 17 min |
| 18 | 08:03 | 08:33 | 17:51 | 18:21 | 9 h 17 min |
| 19 | 08:03 | 08:34 | 17:51 | 18:22 | 9 h 17 min |
| 20 | 08:04 | 08:35 | 17:51 | 18:22 | 9 h 17 min |
| 21 | 08:04 | 08:35 | 17:52 | 18:23 | 9 h 17 min |
| 22 | 08:05 | 08:35 | 17:52 | 18:23 | 9 h 17 min |
| 23 | 08:05 | 08:36 | 17:53 | 18:24 | 9 h 17 min |
| 24 | 08:05 | 08:36 | 17:53 | 18:24 | 9 h 17 min |
| 25 | 08:06 | 08:37 | 17:54 | 18:25 | 9 h 17 min |
| 26 | 08:06 | 08:37 | 17:55 | 18:25 | 9 h 18 min |
| 27 | 08:06 | 08:37 | 17:55 | 18:26 | 9 h 18 min |
| 28 | 08:07 | 08:37 | 17:56 | 18:27 | 9 h 18 min |
| 29 | 08:07 | 08:38 | 17:57 | 18:27 | 9 h 19 min |
| 30 | 08:07 | 08:38 | 17:57 | 18:28 | 9 h 19 min |
| 31 | 08:07 | 08:38 | 17:58 | 18:29 | 9 h 20 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 Madrid for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Madrid vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Madrid in December
- Where does the sun set in Madrid in December?
- Mid-December in Madrid: 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 Madrid lose in December?
- Over December the day gets 8 minutes shorter in Madrid: on December 1 the sun rises at 08:21 and sets at 17:49, and on day 31 it rises at 08:38 and sets at 17:58.
- How many hours of daylight does Madrid get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 9 h 18 min in Madrid, from sunrise at 08:32 to sunset at 17:50. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Madrid in December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 08:01 in Madrid, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 08:32. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Madrid in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Madrid the sun sets at 17:50, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 18:20, 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 Madrid in December?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on December 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Madrid, 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.