Golden Hour in Chicago, Illinois, United States

· America/Chicago

Today's golden hour
Morning: 06:50 AM – 07:46 AM (55 min)
Evening: 05:23 PM – 06:19 PM (55 min)
Tuesday, October 20, 2026, local time
☀️ Tip: Golden hour here means the sun is between 4° below and 6° above the horizon. It starts shortly before sunrise and ends shortly after sunset, so it is not a fixed 60 minutes: its length depends on latitude and season.

Golden hour through the year

Approximate times on the 15th of each month, America/Chicago local time, including daylight saving time.

Golden hour in Chicago, next 14 days

DateMorningEvening
06:50 AM – 07:46 AM 05:23 PM – 06:19 PM
06:52 AM – 07:47 AM 05:22 PM – 06:17 PM
06:53 AM – 07:48 AM 05:20 PM – 06:16 PM
06:54 AM – 07:50 AM 05:19 PM – 06:14 PM
06:55 AM – 07:51 AM 05:17 PM – 06:13 PM
06:56 AM – 07:52 AM 05:15 PM – 06:11 PM
06:57 AM – 07:53 AM 05:14 PM – 06:10 PM
06:58 AM – 07:55 AM 05:12 PM – 06:09 PM
07:00 AM – 07:56 AM 05:11 PM – 06:07 PM
07:01 AM – 07:57 AM 05:10 PM – 06:06 PM
07:02 AM – 07:59 AM 05:08 PM – 06:05 PM
07:03 AM – 08:00 AM 05:07 PM – 06:04 PM
06:04 AM – 07:01 AM 04:05 PM – 05:02 PM
06:05 AM – 07:03 AM 04:04 PM – 05:01 PM

Times in America/Chicago local time, calculated for 41.85003, -87.65005. A dash means the sun does not pass through the golden-hour band that day.

The golden hour in Chicago occurs when the sun is low, so sunlight travels through more atmosphere and the light becomes warm and soft. See today's exact sunrise and sunset times for Chicago, the blue hour and moon phase or the UV index in Chicago.

About Chicago

Located in Illinois, Chicago serves as the county seat of Cook County and stands as the largest city in the United States state of Illinois. The municipality has existed since 1837 and occupies an area of 606.4 square kilometers at an elevation of 179 meters. The city’s geography is defined by the Chicago River and its position along Lake Michigan. Notable infrastructure includes O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. Educational institutions such as the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Chicago operate within its limits. As of 2025, the population is 2,731,585. Twin towns include Kyiv, Vilnius, Lucerne, Accra, and Casablanca.

AI-assisted description based on geographic data and editorial notes.