The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Madrid in January
On January 1 in Madrid the sun rises at 08:38 and sets at 17:59; on day 31 it rises at 08:27 and sets at 18:30. Over the month the day grows 42 minutes longer.
In Madrid (40.4° latitude), January 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:38 and sets at 17:59 on the 1st, and at 08:27 and 18:30 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 9 h 35 min and the sun reaches 28° 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 January 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 January?
Mid-January in Madrid: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 118°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 242°. That is 28° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 28° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 7° north.
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 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 17:59 | 18:29 | 9 h 21 min |
| 2 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:00 | 18:30 | 9 h 21 min |
| 3 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:00 | 18:31 | 9 h 22 min |
| 4 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:01 | 18:32 | 9 h 23 min |
| 5 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:02 | 18:33 | 9 h 24 min |
| 6 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:03 | 18:33 | 9 h 25 min |
| 7 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:04 | 18:34 | 9 h 26 min |
| 8 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:05 | 18:35 | 9 h 27 min |
| 9 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:06 | 18:36 | 9 h 28 min |
| 10 | 08:08 | 08:38 | 18:07 | 18:37 | 9 h 29 min |
| 11 | 08:07 | 08:38 | 18:08 | 18:38 | 9 h 30 min |
| 12 | 08:07 | 08:37 | 18:09 | 18:39 | 9 h 31 min |
| 13 | 08:07 | 08:37 | 18:10 | 18:40 | 9 h 32 min |
| 14 | 08:07 | 08:37 | 18:11 | 18:41 | 9 h 34 min |
| 15 | 08:07 | 08:37 | 18:12 | 18:42 | 9 h 35 min |
| 16 | 08:06 | 08:36 | 18:13 | 18:43 | 9 h 37 min |
| 17 | 08:06 | 08:36 | 18:14 | 18:44 | 9 h 38 min |
| 18 | 08:06 | 08:35 | 18:15 | 18:45 | 9 h 39 min |
| 19 | 08:05 | 08:35 | 18:16 | 18:46 | 9 h 41 min |
| 20 | 08:05 | 08:34 | 18:17 | 18:47 | 9 h 43 min |
| 21 | 08:04 | 08:34 | 18:18 | 18:48 | 9 h 44 min |
| 22 | 08:04 | 08:33 | 18:19 | 18:49 | 9 h 46 min |
| 23 | 08:03 | 08:33 | 18:20 | 18:50 | 9 h 48 min |
| 24 | 08:03 | 08:32 | 18:22 | 18:51 | 9 h 49 min |
| 25 | 08:02 | 08:32 | 18:23 | 18:52 | 9 h 51 min |
| 26 | 08:01 | 08:31 | 18:24 | 18:53 | 9 h 53 min |
| 27 | 08:01 | 08:30 | 18:25 | 18:54 | 9 h 55 min |
| 28 | 08:00 | 08:29 | 18:26 | 18:55 | 9 h 57 min |
| 29 | 07:59 | 08:29 | 18:27 | 18:56 | 9 h 59 min |
| 30 | 07:59 | 08:28 | 18:29 | 18:58 | 10 h 01 min |
| 31 | 07:58 | 08:27 | 18:30 | 18:59 | 10 h 03 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in January?
In January 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 January
- Where does the sun set in Madrid in January?
- Mid-January in Madrid: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 242° measured from true north, which is 28° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 118°. Over the month both points shift 7° north.
- How much daylight does Madrid gain in January?
- Over January the day gets 42 minutes longer in Madrid: on January 1 the sun rises at 08:38 and sets at 17:59, and on day 31 it rises at 08:27 and sets at 18:30.
- How many hours of daylight does Madrid get in January?
- In mid-January the day lasts 9 h 35 min in Madrid, from sunrise at 08:37 to sunset at 18:12. 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 January?
- In mid-January the sky starts to get light at 08:07 in Madrid, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 08:37. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Madrid in January?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-January in Madrid the sun sets at 18:12, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 18:42, 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 January?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on January 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 January it is the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.