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Sunset time on the solstices.
This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.
Modelled local clock time for sunset at the county’s population-weighted center on December 21 and June 21. It combines the solar position with the county’s legal time zone and current daylight-saving rule, so west-facing parts of a time zone tend to show later sunsets. It is a normal horizon calculation, not a forecast: mountains, buildings, terrain and the exact year’s solstice can change when the sun is actually visible. State figures are population-weighted county clock times; states spanning time zones are therefore a useful broad summary, not a single statewide sunset.
Alaska has the lowest published solstice sunset in this comparison, at 3:33 PM. The next states shown are Maine (4:03 PM) and New Hampshire (4:13 PM).
The table orders 51 states by sunset time on the solstices. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.
Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Modelled local clock time for sunset at the county’s population-weighted center on December 21 and June 21. It combines the solar position with the county’s legal time zone and current daylight-saving rule, so west-facing parts of a time zone tend to show later sunsets. It is a normal horizon calculation, not a forecast: mountains, buildings, terrain and the exact year’s solstice can change when the sun is actually visible. State figures are population-weighted county clock times; states spanning time zones are therefore a useful broad summary, not a single statewide sunset.
Free to use. The chart names its source and links back, so it stays honest wherever it ends up.
<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/solstice-sunset" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Sunset time on the solstices by state"></iframe>Source: Computed from NOAA solar-position formula, DOT/BTS time zones, and IANA tzdata. · How this is built