When Does It Get Dark in San Francisco in Winter?

San Francisco’s winter evenings are short, but not as short as most visitors expect from a city famous for fog. Here is when the sun sets, when it is actually dark, and how that shifts from October to March, so you can plan a park, a beach walk or the holiday lights around it.

Sunrise, Sunset and Dark, October to March

“Dark” here is the end of civil twilight: the moment the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon, after which the US Naval Observatory says artificial light is normally needed for ordinary outdoor activities. In San Francisco that comes about 26 to 30 minutes after sunset from November to March.

Times are for the city center (37.7749 N, 122.4194 W) from the US Naval Observatory’s one-day calculator, read 13 October 2026, and include daylight saving time. They differ by about a minute across the city.

When Is the Earliest Sunset in San Francisco?

4:51pm, on every day from 29 November to 13 December 2026, in US Naval Observatory data for the city center. The earliest sunset comes about three weeks before the shortest day, and the latest sunrise, 7:25am, comes about two weeks after it, in early January.

What Time Does It Get Dark in San Francisco After the Clocks Change?

Clocks fall back at 2am on Sunday 1 November 2026. Sunset moves from 6:12pm on 31 October to 5:11pm on 1 November, and the last usable light from 6:39pm to 5:38pm. By mid-November it is dark by about 5:26pm.

How Long Is the Shortest Day in San Francisco?

About 9 hours 33 minutes. On 21 December 2026 the sun rises at 7:21am and sets at 4:54pm. On 21 June it rises at 5:48am and sets at 8:35pm, about 5 hours 14 minutes more daylight.

When Do the Evenings Get Lighter in San Francisco?

Sunset starts moving later in mid-December, after 13 December. It is back to 5:33pm by 1 February and 6:15pm by 13 March. Clocks spring forward at 2am on Sunday 14 March 2027, which puts sunset at 7:16pm that day.

What This Means for a Day Out with Kids

In December, plan anything outdoors, a playground, a beach or a walk in Golden Gate Park, to finish by about 4:30pm. The fog and the wind make the western side of the city feel colder still as the light goes; our San Francisco weather and what to wear guide has the month-by-month temperatures. The upside of early dark is that the free evening shows start early: the Conservatory of Flowers light show begins about 30 minutes after sunset every night, so around 5:20pm in early December. Our holiday lights guide has the rest. For a sunset worth catching, Ocean Beach is our pick in Best of San Francisco: quick answers.