The sun, month by month
Sunrise and sunset in Vancouver in December
On December 1 in Vancouver the sun rises at 08:49 and sets at 17:16; on day 31 it rises at 09:08 and sets at 17:23. Over the month the day gets 12 minutes shorter.
In Vancouver (49.3° latitude), December 2026 has 31 days whose sun rises at 08:49 and sets at 17:16 on the 1st, and at 09:08 and 17:23 on the 31th. Mid-month the day lasts 8 h 12 min and the sun reaches 17° 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 Vancouver at any hour of the day, however long you stay out.
Where does the sun rise and set in Vancouver in December?
Mid-December in Vancouver: the sun rises in the southeast — a bearing of 126°, measured from true north — and sets in the southwest, at 234°. That is 36° south of due east at sunrise, and the same 36° south of due west at sunset. From the 1st to the last day of the month both points shift 2° 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 Vancouver. Dawn and dusk mark civil twilight.
| Day | Dawn | Sunrise | Sunset | Dusk | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08:12 | 08:49 | 17:16 | 17:53 | 8 h 27 min |
| 2 | 08:13 | 08:50 | 17:16 | 17:52 | 8 h 26 min |
| 3 | 08:14 | 08:51 | 17:15 | 17:52 | 8 h 24 min |
| 4 | 08:15 | 08:52 | 17:15 | 17:52 | 8 h 23 min |
| 5 | 08:16 | 08:53 | 17:15 | 17:52 | 8 h 21 min |
| 6 | 08:17 | 08:54 | 17:14 | 17:52 | 8 h 20 min |
| 7 | 08:18 | 08:55 | 17:14 | 17:51 | 8 h 19 min |
| 8 | 08:19 | 08:56 | 17:14 | 17:51 | 8 h 18 min |
| 9 | 08:20 | 08:57 | 17:14 | 17:51 | 8 h 17 min |
| 10 | 08:21 | 08:58 | 17:14 | 17:51 | 8 h 16 min |
| 11 | 08:22 | 08:59 | 17:14 | 17:51 | 8 h 15 min |
| 12 | 08:22 | 09:00 | 17:14 | 17:52 | 8 h 14 min |
| 13 | 08:23 | 09:01 | 17:14 | 17:52 | 8 h 13 min |
| 14 | 08:24 | 09:01 | 17:14 | 17:52 | 8 h 13 min |
| 15 | 08:25 | 09:02 | 17:14 | 17:52 | 8 h 12 min |
| 16 | 08:25 | 09:03 | 17:15 | 17:52 | 8 h 12 min |
| 17 | 08:26 | 09:04 | 17:15 | 17:53 | 8 h 11 min |
| 18 | 08:26 | 09:04 | 17:15 | 17:53 | 8 h 11 min |
| 19 | 08:27 | 09:05 | 17:16 | 17:53 | 8 h 11 min |
| 20 | 08:27 | 09:05 | 17:16 | 17:54 | 8 h 11 min |
| 21 | 08:28 | 09:06 | 17:17 | 17:54 | 8 h 11 min |
| 22 | 08:28 | 09:06 | 17:17 | 17:55 | 8 h 11 min |
| 23 | 08:29 | 09:07 | 17:18 | 17:55 | 8 h 11 min |
| 24 | 08:29 | 09:07 | 17:18 | 17:56 | 8 h 11 min |
| 25 | 08:29 | 09:07 | 17:19 | 17:56 | 8 h 12 min |
| 26 | 08:30 | 09:07 | 17:19 | 17:57 | 8 h 12 min |
| 27 | 08:30 | 09:08 | 17:20 | 17:58 | 8 h 13 min |
| 28 | 08:30 | 09:08 | 17:21 | 17:59 | 8 h 13 min |
| 29 | 08:30 | 09:08 | 17:22 | 17:59 | 8 h 14 min |
| 30 | 08:30 | 09:08 | 17:23 | 18:00 | 8 h 15 min |
| 31 | 08:31 | 09:08 | 17:23 | 18:01 | 8 h 15 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 Vancouver for vitamin D synthesis: the season to mind your diet or consider supplementation.
See the Vancouver vitamin D guideCommon questions about the sun in Vancouver in December
- Where does the sun set in Vancouver in December?
- Mid-December in Vancouver: the sun sets in the southwest, a bearing of 234° measured from true north, which is 36° south of due west. It rises in the southeast, at 126°. Over the month both points shift 2° south.
- How much daylight does Vancouver lose in December?
- Over December the day gets 12 minutes shorter in Vancouver: on December 1 the sun rises at 08:49 and sets at 17:16, and on day 31 it rises at 09:08 and sets at 17:23.
- How many hours of daylight does Vancouver get in December?
- In mid-December the day lasts 8 h 12 min in Vancouver, from sunrise at 09:02 to sunset at 17:14. The table has the day length for each of the 31 days of the month.
- What time does it start to get light in Vancouver in December?
- In mid-December the sky starts to get light at 08:25 in Vancouver, when the sun is 6° below the horizon, and the sun itself does not rise until 09:02. The “Dawn” column of the table gives that time for every day of the month.
- What time does it get dark in Vancouver in December?
- It's not the same time as sunset. In mid-December in Vancouver the sun sets at 17:14, but there is still light: civil twilight does not end until 17:52, 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 Vancouver in December?
- At no time of day. Not even at midday on December 15 does the UV index reach 3 in Vancouver, 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.