Boston, Massachusetts Sunrise & Sunset Times

Boston, the capital of Massachusetts, occupies a hilly peninsula along the shores of Massachusetts Bay, where the Charles River meets the Atlantic. This walkable, historic city layers colonial architecture against a modern skyline, with harbor islands, tidal flats, and coastal light shaping daily life. Boston's position on the eastern seaboard means early sunrises that reward those willing to get up for them, with ocean-influenced skies that shift rapidly and dramatically.

Around the summer solstice, the sun rises at 05:06 and sets at 20:26, delivering 15 hours 20 minutes of daylight — enough to enjoy a full evening along the Esplanade, catch a game at Fenway Park, and still walk home in twilight. By the winter solstice, sunrise doesn't come until 07:08 and sunset falls at 16:16, with only 9 hours 8 minutes of daylight. Boston winters are defined by sharp coastal winds, early darkness, and the way the low sun catches the gold dome of the State House on Beacon Hill, turning it into a beacon of its own.

The swing in sunrise times between summer and winter is about 122 minutes. Photographers prize the morning blue hour (04:32 – 05:06) and golden hour (05:06 – 06:06) from the Cambridge side of the Charles River, where the Back Bay skyline and Longfellow Bridge glow in the early light. Evening golden hour (19:26 – 20:26) through blue hour (20:26 – 20:59) is spectacular from the Harborwalk or Fan Pier, where the waterfront reflects the fading sky and the Custom House Tower stands tall against the deepening blue — a view that has defined Boston for generations.