How latitude shapes daylight
At the equator, every day is about 12 hours long. Move toward a pole and the seasons take over: summer days stretch and winter days shrink, faster the farther you go.
Day length by latitude
Sea-level day length at each latitude on the 2026 solstices and March equinox. It runs slightly above 12 hours at the equinox: the atmosphere bends sunlight over the horizon, and sunrise and sunset are timed from the top edge of the sun, not its center.
Show as a table
| Latitude | June solstice | Equinox | Dec. solstice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60°N | 18h 52m | 12h 10m | 5h 52m |
| 50°N | 16h 22m | 12h 08m | 8h 04m |
| 40°N | 15h 01m | 12h 07m | 9h 19m |
| 30°N | 14h 05m | 12h 07m | 10h 13m |
| 20°N | 13h 20m | 12h 06m | 10h 55m |
| 10°N | 12h 42m | 12h 06m | 11h 32m |
| Equator | 12h 07m | 12h 07m | 12h 07m |
| 10°S | 11h 32m | 12h 07m | 12h 42m |
| 20°S | 10h 55m | 12h 08m | 13h 20m |
| 30°S | 10h 13m | 12h 09m | 14h 05m |
| 40°S | 9h 19m | 12h 10m | 15h 01m |
| 50°S | 8h 04m | 12h 12m | 16h 22m |
| 60°S | 5h 52m | 12h 16m | 18h 52m |
Why it happens
Earth’s axis is tilted about 23.4° from its orbit. Around the June solstice the Northern Hemisphere leans toward the sun: the sun’s daily path is long and high, so days are long, and the farther north, the longer. The Southern Hemisphere leans away and gets its shortest days. Six months later, around the December solstice, it’s the other way round.
Three rules of thumb cover most of it:
- The equator barely changes. Singapore stays within a few minutes of 12 hours all year.
- Distance from the equator sets the swing. At 30° days range from about 10h 13m to 14h 05m; at 60°, from about 5h 52m to 18h 52m.
- The hemispheres are mirror images. When Oslo has its longest day, Ushuaia has its shortest.
Beyond the polar circles (about 66.6°), the sun can stay up or down for a full day or longer. The daily puzzle sticks to cities within 60° of the equator.