Des Moines, IA · 2026
Sunrise and sunset in Des Moines, Iowa
Short answer
- Longest day
- 15 h 12 min
- Shortest day
- 9 h 10 min
Des Moines daylight through 2026
Daylight in Des Moines runs from 9 h 10 min on December 21 to 15 h 12 min on June 21, a seasonal swing of 6 h 02 min between June 21 and December 21. That swing ranks 61st of 342 US cities of 100,000+, where 1st is the largest. Around the March equinox the city gets 12 h 09 min, and around the September equinox 12 h 09 min.
Des Moines daylight by month
| Month | Average | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9 h 34 min | 7:27 AM to 7:41 AM | 4:55 PM to 5:29 PM |
| February | 10 h 38 min | 6:50 AM to 7:26 AM | 5:30 PM to 6:03 PM |
| March | 11 h 58 min | 6:39 AM to 7:37 AM | 6:05 PM to 7:38 PM |
| April | 13 h 22 min | 6:12 AM to 6:57 AM | 7:39 PM to 8:11 PM |
| May | 14 h 33 min | 5:43 AM to 6:11 AM | 8:12 PM to 8:41 PM |
| June | 15 h 08 min | 5:39 AM to 5:43 AM | 8:42 PM to 8:52 PM |
| July | 14 h 50 min | 5:44 AM to 6:08 AM | 8:32 PM to 8:52 PM |
| August | 13 h 47 min | 6:09 AM to 6:39 AM | 7:49 PM to 8:31 PM |
| September | 12 h 27 min | 6:40 AM to 7:10 AM | 6:57 PM to 7:47 PM |
| October | 11 h 04 min | 7:11 AM to 7:45 AM | 6:10 PM to 6:55 PM |
| November | 9 h 51 min | 6:46 AM to 7:20 AM | 4:45 PM to 5:09 PM |
| December | 9 h 13 min | 7:21 AM to 7:41 AM | 4:44 PM to 4:54 PM |
Earliest sunrise, latest sunset and the clock
The earliest sunrise comes on June 11 at 5:39 AM and the latest sunset on June 21 at 8:52 PM. The latest sunrise is 7:45 AM on October 31. Daylight saving time starts and ends on March 8 and November 1, which shifts every clock time by an hour.
On standard time the clocks run 6 hours behind UTC, the time of the 90° W meridian. Des Moines sits at 93.61° W, so the sun runs about 14 minutes behind the zone clock. Solar noon is at 12:23 PM on January 15 and 1:20 PM on July 15.
Compared with nearby cities
Des Moines is the capital of Iowa. Day length depends on latitude, so the table lists the paired cities from north to south.
| City | Latitude | June 21 | December 21 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fargo, ND | 46.86° N | 15 h 53 min | 8 h 32 min |
| Minneapolis, MN | 44.96° N | 15 h 37 min | 8 h 46 min |
| St. Paul, MN | 44.95° N | 15 h 37 min | 8 h 46 min |
| Rochester, MN | 44.01° N | 15 h 29 min | 8 h 53 min |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 43.54° N | 15 h 26 min | 8 h 56 min |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | 41.96° N | 15 h 14 min | 9 h 07 min |
| Des Moines, IA | 41.57° N | 15 h 12 min | 9 h 10 min |
| Davenport, IA | 41.56° N | 15 h 12 min | 9 h 10 min |
| Omaha, NE | 41.26° N | 15 h 09 min | 9 h 12 min |
| Lincoln, NE | 40.81° N | 15 h 06 min | 9 h 15 min |
| Kansas City, MO | 39.13° N | 14 h 55 min | 9 h 25 min |
| Kansas City, KS | 39.12° N | 14 h 55 min | 9 h 25 min |
| Independence, MO | 39.09° N | 14 h 55 min | 9 h 25 min |
Questions people ask
What is the longest day of the year in Des Moines?
June 21, 2026, with 15 h 12 min of daylight: sunrise 5:40 AM, sunset 8:52 PM.
What is the shortest day in Des Moines?
December 21, 2026, with 9 h 10 min: sunrise 7:37 AM, sunset 4:47 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Des Moines?
8:52 PM on June 21, 2026. The earliest sunset is 4:44 PM on December 2.
What time zone is Des Moines in?
America/Chicago. Clocks change on March 8 (to CDT) and November 1 (to CST) in 2026.
Sources and data as of
Data as of: computed for 2026 at the Census internal point of Des Moines, 41.573° N, 93.610° W; time zone from Open-Meteo.
- 01SunCalc library (Vladimir Agafonkin), algorithms after Jean Meeus
- 02IANA time zone database (clock times and daylight saving rules)
How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.