When Does the Sun Set in Oklahoma City?

Sunset in Oklahoma City occurs between 5:17 p.m. in early December (the latest point in the year when accounting for equation of time) and 8:47 p.m. in mid-June. The exact time shifts daily by roughly two to three minutes and depends on your precise location within the metro area and atmospheric conditions near the horizon.

How Sunset Times Work Year-Round

Oklahoma City sits at 35.5°N latitude and 97.5°W longitude. This position determines the sun's arc across the sky, which changes throughout the year. Winter sunsets come early because the sun traces a lower, shorter path; summer sunsets arrive much later because the sun travels a higher arc and spends more daylight hours above the horizon.

The earliest sunset of the year occurs around December 1, not December 21 (winter solstice). This timing surprises many people. The reason involves the equation of time, a correction between solar noon and clock noon caused by Earth's elliptical orbit and axial tilt. By late December, sunset actually begins creeping later even as daylight hours continue to shrink, a lag effect that extends through early January.

The latest sunset happens in mid-June, around 8:45 to 8:47 p.m. At that point, the summer solstice (June 20 or 21) arrives, after which sunsets begin moving earlier again, even though daylight hours continue growing until mid-June.

Where to Find Precise Daily Times

The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, maintains current sunset data for Oklahoma City. Their website includes hourly sun position forecasts. The NOAA Solar Calculator (available through weather.gov) generates exact sunset times by date. Both resources account for the horizon's actual elevation at your location, which matters: someone on a hill sees sunset slightly later than someone in a valley.

Smartphone weather apps typically pull from NOAA data and display sunset times automatically. Verify the location is set to Oklahoma City proper, not a nearby suburb, as precision matters within one to two minutes.

Factors That Shift the Exact Time

Atmospheric refraction. The sun appears to set about two minutes later than pure geometry would suggest, because Earth's atmosphere bends light downward. This effect is built into published sunset times.

Horizon elevation. If you're watching from a rooftop or elevated area, you'll see sunset a few minutes later than someone at ground level downtown. A tall building or distant ridge on the western horizon has the same effect.

Season and latitude. Oklahoma City's latitude means daylight swings are moderate compared to northern U.S. cities (where summer days stretch past 10 p.m. and winter sunsets arrive by 4:30 p.m.) but more pronounced than southern locations near the Gulf Coast.

Why This Matters for Planning

Photographers and outdoor event planners use sunset time as a reference point. Golden hour, when light turns warm and directional, lasts roughly 20 to 40 minutes depending on season and cloud cover. Winter produces shorter golden hours; summer extends them. If you're scheduling an outdoor wedding, portrait session, or activity that depends on natural light, subtract 45 minutes from sunset time as a safe estimate for when useful daylight ends.

Commuters benefit from knowing sunset times to plan evening activities. In December, most people leave work after sunset; in summer, sunset occurs so late that evening outdoor activities remain feasible through 9 p.m.

Sunrise and Daylight Hours

For context: sunrise in Oklahoma City ranges from 7:30 a.m. in early December to 5:30 a.m. in mid-June. This means winter daylight lasts roughly 10 hours, while summer daylight stretches to about 15 hours. The winter solstice brings the shortest day; the summer solstice brings the longest.

The 25-minute swing between earliest and latest sunset (roughly 5:15 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.) is one of the largest differences across the year. Cities at higher latitudes experience even more extreme variation.

Regional Variations

Sunset times shift slightly across the Oklahoma City metro area. The western suburbs (like Yukon or Mustang) see sunset roughly two minutes earlier than downtown Oklahoma City; eastern areas (like Midwest City or Del City) see it two to three minutes later. These differences are small enough to ignore for most purposes but become relevant if you're timing photography in different locations across the same evening.