CLEVELAND, Ohio — Sunday’s sunset in Cleveland will quietly signal that summer’s long days are giving way to autumn’s earlier nights.
The sun will set at 8 p.m. sharp on Aug. 31, marking the last time in 2025 it will sink below the horizon that late. The summer solstice, the year’s longest day, arrived at 10:42 p.m. on June 20 in North America. Since then, daylight has gradually shortened—at first by just a few seconds each day, but that change has sped up as the season moves on.
In August, Cleveland lost about one to two minutes of daylight each day. By Aug. 31, the city will see about 74 fewer minutes of daylight compared to the start of the month, with sunset happening 43 minutes earlier.
This year’s autumnal equinox falls on Sept. 22 at 2:19 p.m., marking the official start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. On that day, the sun’s rays will shine directly over Earth’s equator, creating almost equal daylight and darkness across the globe.
After that, days will keep getting shorter and nights longer until the winter solstice at 10:03 a.m. on Dec. 21.
What’s the earliest sunset in Cleveland?
The earliest sunset in Cleveland usually happens in early December, about two weeks before the winter solstice. In 2025, that date is Dec. 5, when sunset will be at 4:56 p.m.
This timing occurs because Earth’s orbit and tilt cause the earliest sunset and latest sunrise to fall a couple of weeks before the shortest day of the year.
Other notable milestones to close out 2025:
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Last 7 p.m. sunset: Oct. 5
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Last 6 p.m. sunset: Nov. 1
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Daylight saving time ends: Nov. 2
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Last 5 p.m. sunset: Nov. 24
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Return of 5 p.m. sunsets: Dec. 21
When will Cleveland see its first 8 p.m. sunset in 2026?
After Aug. 31, it will be a while before Cleveland experiences another 8 p.m. sunset. The next one won’t happen until April 9, 2026.
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