The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Madrid in October
On October 1 in Madrid the sun rises at 08:14 and sets at 19:54; on day 31 it rises at 07:47 and sets at 18:10. Over the month the day gets 77 minutes shorter.
In Madrid (40.4° latitude), October 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:14 and sets at 19:54 on the 1st, and at 07:47 and 18:10 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 11 h 03 min and the sun reaches 40° above the horizon. Vitamin D synthesis is possible between 13:00 and 16:00, which is when the UV index reaches at least 3: at the best moment of the day about 12 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.
Where does the sun rise and set in Madrid in October?
Mid-October in Madrid: 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 14° 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 Madrid. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 07:46 | 08:14 | 19:54 | 20:21 | 11 h 40 min |
| 2 | 07:47 | 08:15 | 19:52 | 20:19 | 11 h 37 min |
| 3 | 07:49 | 08:16 | 19:50 | 20:18 | 11 h 35 min |
| 4 | 07:50 | 08:17 | 19:49 | 20:16 | 11 h 32 min |
| 5 | 07:51 | 08:18 | 19:47 | 20:14 | 11 h 29 min |
| 6 | 07:52 | 08:19 | 19:45 | 20:13 | 11 h 27 min |
| 7 | 07:53 | 08:20 | 19:44 | 20:11 | 11 h 24 min |
| 8 | 07:54 | 08:21 | 19:42 | 20:09 | 11 h 21 min |
| 9 | 07:55 | 08:22 | 19:41 | 20:08 | 11 h 18 min |
| 10 | 07:56 | 08:23 | 19:39 | 20:06 | 11 h 16 min |
| 11 | 07:57 | 08:24 | 19:37 | 20:05 | 11 h 13 min |
| 12 | 07:58 | 08:25 | 19:36 | 20:03 | 11 h 11 min |
| 13 | 07:59 | 08:26 | 19:34 | 20:02 | 11 h 08 min |
| 14 | 08:00 | 08:27 | 19:33 | 20:00 | 11 h 05 min |
| 15 | 08:01 | 08:29 | 19:31 | 19:59 | 11 h 03 min |
| 16 | 08:02 | 08:30 | 19:30 | 19:57 | 11 h 00 min |
| 17 | 08:03 | 08:31 | 19:28 | 19:56 | 10 h 58 min |
| 18 | 08:04 | 08:32 | 19:27 | 19:55 | 10 h 55 min |
| 19 | 08:05 | 08:33 | 19:25 | 19:53 | 10 h 52 min |
| 20 | 08:06 | 08:34 | 19:24 | 19:52 | 10 h 50 min |
| 21 | 08:07 | 08:35 | 19:23 | 19:51 | 10 h 47 min |
| 22 | 08:09 | 08:36 | 19:21 | 19:49 | 10 h 45 min |
| 23 | 08:10 | 08:38 | 19:20 | 19:48 | 10 h 42 min |
| 24 | 08:11 | 08:39 | 19:19 | 19:47 | 10 h 40 min |
| 25 | 07:12 | 07:40 | 18:17 | 18:45 | 10 h 38 min |
| 26 | 07:13 | 07:41 | 18:16 | 18:44 | 10 h 35 min |
| 27 | 07:14 | 07:42 | 18:15 | 18:43 | 10 h 33 min |
| 28 | 07:15 | 07:43 | 18:14 | 18:42 | 10 h 30 min |
| 29 | 07:16 | 07:44 | 18:12 | 18:41 | 10 h 28 min |
| 30 | 07:17 | 07:46 | 18:11 | 18:40 | 10 h 26 min |
| 31 | 07:18 | 07:47 | 18:10 | 18:38 | 10 h 23 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 Madrid runs from 13:00 to 16:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~12 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Madrid vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Madrid in October
- Where does the sun set in Madrid in October?
- Mid-October in Madrid: 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 14° south.
- How much daylight does Madrid lose in October?
- Over October the day gets 77 minutes shorter in Madrid: on October 1 the sun rises at 08:14 and sets at 19:54, and on day 31 it rises at 07:47 and sets at 18:10.
- How many hours of daylight does Madrid get in October?
- In mid-October the day lasts 11 h 03 min in Madrid, from sunrise at 08:29 to sunset at 19:31. 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 October?
- In mid-October 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 08:29. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Madrid in October?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-October in Madrid the sun sets at 19:31, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 19:59, 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 October?
- In mid-October, between 13:00 and 16:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Madrid, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 12 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.