Seattle’s sunset slips to before 9 p.m., signaling summer’s slow fade
Jul 18, 2025, 1:00 PM
A photo of the Space Needle in Seattle during a sunset. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Sunsets in Seattle no longer stretch past 9 p.m., as of Thursday, with the sun tonight listed as falling below the horizon at 8:59 p.m. according to TimeandDate.com.
Seattle will continue to lose about one minute of sunlight each day throughout the rest of July and into August.
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Seattle’s last sunset past 9 p.m.
The first 9 p.m. sunset in Seattle began on June 2, and reached as late as 9:11 p.m. for a seven-day period between June 22 and June 28.
Weather conditions for tonight’s sunset are expected to be mostly cloudy. Thursday has a high of 72 degrees and a low around 57, according to the National Weather Service.
Tonight marks our final 9 pm sunset of the year.
Need we say more? pic.twitter.com/mUyW0quXVS
— Seattle Weather Blog (@KSeattleWeather) July 18, 2025
The Earth’s tilt is the reason for the sunset time changes, according to NWS. In the spring and summer, the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun, resulting in longer days. In fall and winter, it tilts away, shortening them.
Around the equinoxes in March and September, the tilt is neutral, and gives nearly equal days and nights across the globe.
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