Golden Hour & Twilight in Chicago
Local time is 10:58 PM. Tomorrow sunrise 6h 45m, at 5:42 AM. Use the quick paths below to jump straight to photography, moon, or prayer details.
Tomorrow's Sunrise Quality
Analyzing forecast...Fetching cloud and mist probabilities...
Morning 5:44 AM to 6:23 AM · Evening starts 7:14 PM
Moon New Moon in 12 daysWaning Gibbous now with 89% illumination.
Prayer Fajr at 3:52 AMFull schedule stays below when you need it.
Photography Windows in Chicago
Lead with the moments that actually change your outdoor plan: golden hour, twilight, and whether daylight is getting longer or shorter this week.
Morning Golden Hour
Evening Golden Hour
| Phase | Dawn | Dusk |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Twilight | 5:13 AM | 8:23 PM |
| Nautical Twilight | 4:35 AM | 9:01 PM |
| Astronomical Twilight | 3:54 AM | 9:42 PM |
Moon Data for Chicago
Useful when your plan extends past sunset or when you want to know whether moonlight will help or compete with the shot.
Moon Phase
Moonrise & Moonset
Prayer Times in Chicago
The full schedule is available when you need it, while the page keeps the main sunrise and sunset answer easy to scan for everyone else.
Calculated using Muslim World League (MWL) method. Standard (Shafi'i) juristic method for Asr.
About Sunrise & Sunset in Chicago
Today in Chicago, the sun rises at 5:44 AM and sets at 7:52 PM, providing 14h 09m of daylight. Solar noon lands at 12:48 PM, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. Civil twilight begins at 5:13 AM and ends at 8:23 PM, extending usable outdoor light beyond sunrise and sunset.
How Sunrise and Sunset Times Are Calculated
SunriseTime uses the NOAA Solar Calculator algorithm to compute sunrise and sunset times with precision within one minute. The calculation accounts for Chicago's geographic coordinates (latitude 41.8781°, longitude -87.6298°), atmospheric refraction, and the sun's apparent diameter. All times are displayed in the local timezone (America/Chicago) and updated daily.
Golden Hour Photography in Chicago
The morning golden hour in Chicago runs from 5:44 AM to 6:23 AM (39 minutes), while the evening golden hour spans 7:14 PM to 7:52 PM (39 minutes). During golden hour, sunlight travels through more atmosphere, producing warm tones ideal for photography and filmmaking.
Daylight Trends and Seasonal Changes
Daylight duration in Chicago changes throughout the year based on its latitude of 41.88°. The 7-day forecast above shows how daylight hours are currently trending. Compared to yesterday, sunrise is 1 min earlier than yesterday and sunset is 1 min later than yesterday, reflecting the gradual seasonal transition.
Moon Phase and Lunar Data
The current moon phase in Chicago is Waning Gibbous with 89% illumination. Moonrise occurs at 11:22 PM and moonset at 7:55 AM. Lunar data is useful for astronomers, photographers planning night shoots, and anyone interested in tidal patterns.
Prayer Times Calculation Method
Prayer times for Chicago are calculated using the Muslim World League (MWL) convention, which sets Fajr at 18° below the horizon and Isha at 17°. The Asr time follows the Standard (Shafi'i) juristic method, where the shadow length equals the object height plus the shadow at solar noon.
30-Day Light Outlook
These changes make the page useful beyond the one-off “what time is sunrise today?” query.
Compared with 30 days ago
Expected 30 days from now
2026 Annual Light Extremes
This section answers the next useful question after today: when are the real yearly limits for local light?
Sunrise extremes
Sunset extremes
Longest day
Shortest day
Seasonal Daylight Checkpoints
These four checkpoints make the year easier to scan than a raw calendar of 365 daily values.
| Checkpoint | Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March Equinox | Mar 20 | 6:55 AM | 7:03 PM | 12h 08m |
| June Solstice | Jun 21 | 5:16 AM | 8:30 PM | 15h 14m |
| September Equinox | Sep 22 | 6:39 AM | 6:50 PM | 12h 11m |
| December Solstice | Dec 21 | 7:16 AM | 4:23 PM | 9h 08m |
Photo Planning Signals for Chicago
These checks make the page more than a time lookup: they show how latitude, season, and nearby alternatives affect the shoot window.
41.88°, -87.63° · America/Chicago
Morning: 39 min · Evening: 39 min
Longest day: 15h 14m · Shortest day: 9h 08m
Check this matrix before scheduling portraits, skyline shots, travel arrivals, or outdoor video in Chicago.
Sunrise Times in Nearby Cities
Once you have the answer for this city, the next most useful action is usually comparing it with a nearby or destination city.