The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Seattle in May
On May 1 in Seattle the sun rises at 05:53 and sets at 20:20; on day 31 it rises at 05:16 and sets at 20:57. Over the month the day grows 75 minutes longer.
Where does the sun rise and set in Seattle in May?
Mid-May in Seattle: the sun rises in the northeast — a bearing of 60°, measured from true north — and sets in the northwest, at 300°. That is 30° north of due east at sunrise, and the same 30° north of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 11° 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 Seattle. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 05:19 | 05:53 | 20:20 | 20:54 | 14 h 26 min |
| 2 | 05:17 | 05:52 | 20:21 | 20:55 | 14 h 29 min |
| 3 | 05:15 | 05:50 | 20:22 | 20:57 | 14 h 32 min |
| 4 | 05:14 | 05:48 | 20:24 | 20:59 | 14 h 35 min |
| 5 | 05:12 | 05:47 | 20:25 | 21:00 | 14 h 38 min |
| 6 | 05:10 | 05:45 | 20:27 | 21:02 | 14 h 41 min |
| 7 | 05:08 | 05:44 | 20:28 | 21:03 | 14 h 44 min |
| 8 | 05:07 | 05:42 | 20:29 | 21:05 | 14 h 47 min |
| 9 | 05:05 | 05:41 | 20:31 | 21:06 | 14 h 50 min |
| 10 | 05:03 | 05:39 | 20:32 | 21:08 | 14 h 53 min |
| 11 | 05:02 | 05:38 | 20:33 | 21:09 | 14 h 56 min |
| 12 | 05:00 | 05:36 | 20:35 | 21:11 | 14 h 58 min |
| 13 | 04:59 | 05:35 | 20:36 | 21:12 | 15 h 01 min |
| 14 | 04:57 | 05:34 | 20:37 | 21:14 | 15 h 04 min |
| 15 | 04:56 | 05:32 | 20:39 | 21:15 | 15 h 06 min |
| 16 | 04:54 | 05:31 | 20:40 | 21:17 | 15 h 09 min |
| 17 | 04:53 | 05:30 | 20:41 | 21:18 | 15 h 11 min |
| 18 | 04:52 | 05:29 | 20:43 | 21:20 | 15 h 14 min |
| 19 | 04:50 | 05:28 | 20:44 | 21:21 | 15 h 16 min |
| 20 | 04:49 | 05:26 | 20:45 | 21:22 | 15 h 19 min |
| 21 | 04:48 | 05:25 | 20:46 | 21:24 | 15 h 21 min |
| 22 | 04:46 | 05:24 | 20:47 | 21:25 | 15 h 23 min |
| 23 | 04:45 | 05:23 | 20:49 | 21:27 | 15 h 25 min |
| 24 | 04:44 | 05:22 | 20:50 | 21:28 | 15 h 28 min |
| 25 | 04:43 | 05:21 | 20:51 | 21:29 | 15 h 30 min |
| 26 | 04:42 | 05:20 | 20:52 | 21:30 | 15 h 32 min |
| 27 | 04:41 | 05:19 | 20:53 | 21:32 | 15 h 34 min |
| 28 | 04:40 | 05:19 | 20:54 | 21:33 | 15 h 36 min |
| 29 | 04:39 | 05:18 | 20:55 | 21:34 | 15 h 37 min |
| 30 | 04:38 | 05:17 | 20:56 | 21:35 | 15 h 39 min |
| 31 | 04:37 | 05:16 | 20:57 | 21:36 | 15 h 41 min |
Approximate astronomical values: they can shift a minute or two from year to year.
What about vitamin D in May?
In May, the typical synthesis window in Seattle runs from 10:00 to 17:00: with medium skin and a t-shirt, ~8 min at the best moment is enough.
See the Seattle vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Seattle in May
- Where does the sun set in Seattle in May?
- Mid-May in Seattle: the sun sets in the northwest, a bearing of 300° measured from true north, which is 30° north of due west. It rises in the northeast, at 60°. Over the month both points shift 11° north.
- How much daylight does Seattle gain in May?
- Over May the day gets 75 minutes longer in Seattle: on May 1 the sun rises at 05:53 and sets at 20:20, and on day 31 it rises at 05:16 and sets at 20:57.
- How many hours of daylight does Seattle get in May?
- In mid-May the day lasts 15 h 06 min in Seattle, from sunrise at 05:32 to sunset at 20:39. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Seattle in May?
- In mid-May the sky starts to get light at 04:56 in Seattle, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 05:32. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Seattle in May?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-May in Seattle the sun sets at 20:39, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 21:15, 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 Seattle in May?
- In mid-May, between 10:00 and 17:00: that is the stretch of the day when the UV index reaches 3 in Seattle, the minimum for the skin to make vitamin D. At the best moment of the day about 8 minutes are enough for a mid-range skin phototype with a quarter of the body exposed to make around 1000 IU.