Sunset and Sunrise Times Today in Madison, WI

Sunset in Madison today, Tuesday, October 27, is at 5:56 PM and sunrise is at 7:26 AM. It gets dark at 6:25 PM. Tomorrow, the sun rises at 7:27 AM and sets at 5:55 PM. Local time: CDT (UTC−05:00).

Sunset in 4h 27m 31s

Showing: today Tuesday, October 27

First light

6:57 AM

Civil dawn: the sky brightens

Sunrise

7:26 AM

107° · east-southeast

Sunset

5:56 PM

253° · west-southwest

Dark

6:25 PM

End of civil twilight

Day length

10h 30m

−2 min 41 s vs the day before

Solar noon

12:41 PM

Sun 34.0° high

Sunrise and sunset tomorrow in Madison

Wednesday, October 28: sunrise 7:27 AM, sunset 5:55 PM, 10h 27m of daylight. It gets dark at 6:24 PM.

Golden hour and blue hour today in Madison

Morning blue hour6:57–7:08 AM

Morning golden hour7:08–8:06 AM

Evening golden hour5:16–6:14 PM

Evening blue hour6:14–6:25 PM

Golden hour: sun between 6° above and 4° below the horizon. Blue hour: between 4° and 6° below. A rough guide for photography, not a weather forecast. More about golden hour

Daylight hour by hour

now

Night12:00–5:51 AM
Astronomical twilight5:51–6:24 AM
Nautical twilight6:24–6:57 AM
Blue hour6:57–7:08 AM
Golden hour7:08–8:06 AM
Daylight8:06 AM–5:16 PM
Golden hour5:16–6:14 PM
Blue hour6:14–6:25 PM
Nautical twilight6:25–6:59 PM
Astronomical twilight6:59–7:32 PM
Night7:32 PM–midnight

First light is civil dawn (sun 6° below the horizon); dark is the end of civil dusk. Civil, nautical and astronomical twilight explained

Where to look

Today the sun rises at 107° (east-southeast) and sets at 253° (west-southwest). Through 2026, sunrise moves between 56° and 122° and sunset between 238° and 304°.

How is the sky in Madison right now?

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Sun calendar for October 2026 in Madison

Local times in Madison · October 2026
Date	First light	Sunrise	Sunset	Dark	Daylight	Change
Thu 1	6:27 AM	6:55 AM	6:39 PM	7:07 PM	11h 44m	−2 min 54 s
Fri 2	6:28 AM	6:56 AM	6:37 PM	7:05 PM	11h 41m	−2 min 54 s
Sat 3	6:29 AM	6:57 AM	6:35 PM	7:03 PM	11h 38m	−2 min 54 s
Sun 4	6:30 AM	6:58 AM	6:33 PM	7:02 PM	11h 35m	−2 min 54 s
Mon 5	6:31 AM	7:00 AM	6:32 PM	7:00 PM	11h 32m	−2 min 53 s
Tue 6	6:32 AM	7:01 AM	6:30 PM	6:58 PM	11h 29m	−2 min 53 s
Wed 7	6:34 AM	7:02 AM	6:28 PM	6:56 PM	11h 26m	−2 min 53 s
Thu 8	6:35 AM	7:03 AM	6:26 PM	6:55 PM	11h 23m	−2 min 53 s
Fri 9	6:36 AM	7:04 AM	6:25 PM	6:53 PM	11h 20m	−2 min 53 s
Sat 10	6:37 AM	7:05 AM	6:23 PM	6:51 PM	11h 18m	−2 min 52 s
Sun 11	6:38 AM	7:07 AM	6:21 PM	6:50 PM	11h 15m	−2 min 52 s
Mon 12	6:39 AM	7:08 AM	6:20 PM	6:48 PM	11h 12m	−2 min 51 s
Tue 13	6:40 AM	7:09 AM	6:18 PM	6:46 PM	11h 09m	−2 min 51 s
Wed 14	6:42 AM	7:10 AM	6:16 PM	6:45 PM	11h 06m	−2 min 51 s
Thu 15	6:43 AM	7:11 AM	6:15 PM	6:43 PM	11h 03m	−2 min 50 s
Fri 16	6:44 AM	7:13 AM	6:13 PM	6:42 PM	11h 00m	−2 min 50 s
Sat 17	6:45 AM	7:14 AM	6:11 PM	6:40 PM	10h 58m	−2 min 49 s
Sun 18	6:46 AM	7:15 AM	6:10 PM	6:39 PM	10h 55m	−2 min 48 s
Mon 19	6:47 AM	7:16 AM	6:08 PM	6:37 PM	10h 52m	−2 min 48 s
Tue 20	6:49 AM	7:17 AM	6:07 PM	6:36 PM	10h 49m	−2 min 47 s
Wed 21	6:50 AM	7:19 AM	6:05 PM	6:34 PM	10h 46m	−2 min 46 s
Thu 22	6:51 AM	7:20 AM	6:04 PM	6:33 PM	10h 44m	−2 min 46 s
Fri 23	6:52 AM	7:21 AM	6:02 PM	6:31 PM	10h 41m	−2 min 45 s
Sat 24	6:53 AM	7:22 AM	6:01 PM	6:30 PM	10h 38m	−2 min 44 s
Sun 25	6:54 AM	7:24 AM	5:59 PM	6:28 PM	10h 36m	−2 min 43 s
Mon 26	6:56 AM	7:25 AM	5:58 PM	6:27 PM	10h 33m	−2 min 42 s
Tue 27 TODAY	6:57 AM	7:26 AM	5:56 PM	6:25 PM	10h 30m	−2 min 41 s
Wed 28	6:58 AM	7:27 AM	5:55 PM	6:24 PM	10h 27m	−2 min 40 s
Thu 29	6:59 AM	7:29 AM	5:53 PM	6:23 PM	10h 25m	−2 min 39 s
Fri 30	7:00 AM	7:30 AM	5:52 PM	6:21 PM	10h 22m	−2 min 38 s
Sat 31	7:02 AM	7:31 AM	5:51 PM	6:20 PM	10h 20m	−2 min 37 s

Local times in America/Chicago; clock changes apply on their actual dates. Download the 2026 calendar (CSV)

Daylight through 2026 in Madison

In 2026, daylight in Madison ranges from 9h 00m (Dec 21) to 15h 22m (Jun 21).

1. March equinox: Mar 20
2. June solstice: Jun 21
3. September equinox: Sep 22
4. December solstice: Dec 21

Local time and clock changes in Madison

America/Chicago · CDT · UTC−05:00. Daylight saving time is in effect.

The next clock change is on Sunday, November 1, 2026, from UTC−05:00 to UTC−06:00. The calendar above already includes it.

Clock changes and regional exceptions in United States

IANA timezone data 2026e. Rules can change by law; corrections are welcome.

Quick answers for Madison

What time is sunset today in Madison?

Sunset is at 5:56 PM on Tuesday, October 27 (CDT). The sun sets in the west-southwest (253°).

What time is sunrise today in Madison?

Sunrise is at 7:26 AM on Tuesday, October 27. The sun rises in the east-southeast (107°).

What time is sunrise tomorrow in Madison?

Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28, the sun rises at 7:27 AM and sets at 5:55 PM, giving 10h 27m of daylight.

What time does it get dark in Madison tonight?

It gets dark at 6:25 PM, 29 minutes after sunset, when civil twilight ends and street lights are needed. The sky is fully dark (astronomical night) from 7:32 PM.

When is golden hour in Madison today?

Morning golden hour: 7:08 AM to 8:06 AM. Evening golden hour: 5:16 PM to 6:14 PM. This is when the sun is between 6° above and 4° below the horizon, a rough guide for warm, soft light.

How many hours of daylight does Madison get today?

Madison gets 10 hours 30 minutes of daylight today, 2 minutes and 41 seconds shorter than the day before.

What is the longest day of the year in Madison?

In 2026 the longest day is June 21, with 15h 22m of daylight (sunrise 5:18 AM, sunset 8:41 PM). The shortest is December 21, with 9h 00m.

When is the earliest sunset in Madison?

The earliest sunset of 2026 is on December 9 at 4:23 PM; the latest is on June 26 at 8:41 PM.

When do the clocks change in Madison?

Clocks go back one hour on Sunday, November 1 2026 (UTC−05:00 to UTC−06:00). Sunrise and sunset move earlier on the clock from Nov 2.

Which direction does the sun rise in Madison?

Today the sun rises in the east-southeast (107°) and sets in the west-southwest (253°). Over 2026, sunrise moves between 56° and 122° on the horizon.

The sun in Madison in numbers

Longest day of 2026: June 21, 2026: 15h 22m (sunrise 5:18 AM, sunset 8:41 PM)
Shortest day of 2026: December 21, 2026: 9h 00m (sunrise 7:26 AM, sunset 4:26 PM)
Change over the year: 6 hours 23 minutes
Earliest sunrise: June 15, 2026, 5:18 AM
Latest sunrise: October 31, 2026, 7:31 AM
Earliest sunset: December 9, 2026, 4:23 PM
Latest sunset: June 26, 2026, 8:41 PM
Sun directly overhead at noon: Never — highest point 70.4°, on June 21, 2026
Sunrise direction through the year: 56° to 122°
Coordinates: 43.0731° N, 89.4012° W
Time zone: America/Chicago (CDT, UTC−05:00)

About the sun in Madison

In Madison, the longest day of 2026 is June 21, with 15h 22m of daylight, and the shortest is December 21, with 9h 00m: a difference of 6 hours 23 minutes. The earliest sunrise of the year is on June 15 (5:18 AM) and the latest sunset on June 26 (8:41 PM). These dates do not fall on the solstice because Earth's orbit is elliptical and its axis is tilted, so solar noon drifts through the year. Madison lies outside the tropics, so the sun is never directly overhead. Its highest point is 70.4° above the horizon, on June 21.

Nearby cities

Today's times in the 8 closest places
City	Sunrise	Sunset
Middleton 9 km	7:27 AM	5:57 PM
Fitchburg 14 km	7:26 AM	5:57 PM
Sun Prairie 20 km	7:26 AM	5:55 PM
Janesville 53 km	7:24 AM	5:55 PM
Watertown 56 km	7:24 AM	5:53 PM
Beaver Dam 63 km	7:24 AM	5:53 PM
Beloit 70 km	7:24 AM	5:56 PM
Oconomowoc 73 km	7:23 AM	5:53 PM

All cities in Wisconsin →

About these times

Calculation point: 43.0731° N, 89.4012° W
Place reference: GeoNames 5261457

Sunrise and sunset use the moment the top of the sun touches a level horizon (solar centre 0.833° below it, allowing for refraction and the sun's radius), rounded to the minute and checked against US Naval Observatory data. Terrain, buildings and unusual weather are not modeled.

Sources, validation and limitations