SAN FRANCISCO, June 18, 2025 – Mark your calendars, Bay Area folks, because the longest day of the year is just around the corner. The summer solstice officially arrives at 7:42 p.m. on Friday, June 20th, bringing with it the promise of extended daylight and the official start of summer. Get ready to soak up those extra rays!
Enjoy the longest day of the year with over 14 hours of sunlight!
- The summer solstice occurs on June 20th for most of America.
- The longest day in San Francisco will be 14 hours, 46 minutes, and 55 seconds of sunlight.
- The latest sunset in the U.S. is June 24th in Fortuna, N.D., at 10:03 p.m.
What exactly is the summer solstice? It’s when the Northern Hemisphere experiences its maximum tilt toward the sun, causing the sun to sit directly above the Tropic of Cancer and marking the official start of summer, which will be here before you know it.
Date Differences
While June 20th is the big day for most of us, the exact date of the summer solstice isn’t set in stone. It can occur on June 20th, 21st, or 22nd. This year, most of America will experience it on June 20th, while much of the rest of the world gets it on June 21st. Last year’s solstice, on June 20th, at 1:50 p.m. Pacific time, was the earliest since 1796.
So, is June 20th the longest day of 2025 in the Bay Area? Yes! San Francisco will bask in a whopping 14 hours, 46 minutes, and 55 seconds of sunlight between sunrise (5:47 a.m.) and sunset (8:34 p.m.). Saturday’s daylight will only be a second shorter. However, the solstice sunset itself isn’t the latest of the year; that happens a few days later.
Sunset Showdown
If you’re chasing the latest sunset, you’ll need to head north. The latest sunset in the United States, excluding Alaska (where some places experience continuous daylight), is 10:03 p.m. on June 24th in Fortuna, N.D. Though more northerly towns exist, Fortuna claims the title because it sits on the west edge of its time zone. During the depths of winter, the sun rises there at 8:48 a.m.
Here’s how other cities stack up in the late-sunset competition:
- Missoula, Mont.: 9:34 p.m.
- Angle Inlet, Minn.: 9:30 p.m.
- Detroit: 9:13 p.m.
- Seattle: 9:11 p.m.
- Minneapolis: 9:03 p.m.
- Atlanta: 8:52 p.m.
- Dallas: 8:39 p.m.
- New York City and Denver: 8:32 p.m.
- Chicago: 8:29 p.m.
- Boston: 8:25 p.m.
- Miami: 8:16 p.m.
- New Orleans: 8:05 p.m.
- Phoenix: 7:42 p.m. (not on daylight saving time)
- Honolulu: 7:17 p.m.
Solstice South
The Southern Hemisphere also celebrates a solstice on the same date, but it marks the shortest day and the beginning of winter. For South America, this is June 20th, and for most of the rest of the world, it’s June 21st.
And when does the Northern Hemisphere experience its winter solstice? Mark your calendars for December 21st. In the Bay Area, the sun will rise at 7:21 a.m. and set at 4:54 p.m. on that day.
Solstice Activities
Want to geek out on the solstice? While a trip to Stonehenge may be out of reach, The Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley is hosting a solstice event from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 21st. Tickets to the science center cost $25.
If you are a fan of horror, you can screen the 2019 horror movie “Midsommar.”
