How many days of darkness are there in Alaska?

In Utqiaġvik (Barrow), Alaska's northernmost town, the sun doesn't rise for about 65 days: it sets around November 18 and comes back around January 23. This is the polar night. Farther south, Alaska never goes a full day without sunrise, but the days get very short: about 3 h 42 min of daylight in Fairbanks and 5 h 27 min in Anchorage on December 21.

Checking the sun in Utqiaġvik today…

Sunrise, sunset and daylight today

Calculated in your browser for today, in each town's local time, with the open-source Astronomy Engine. Northern towns are listed first.

The polar night: days without a sunrise (2026–27)

The polar night happens north of roughly 67.4°N, a little above the Arctic Circle once the bending of light by the atmosphere is counted. Only a strip of Alaska's North Slope is that far north: Utqiaġvik, Prudhoe Bay, Kaktovik and the Brooks Range villages. Fairbanks, at 64.8°N, always gets at least a few hours of sun.

Not pitch black: what the polar night looks like

Even on December 21 the sun in Utqiaġvik only sinks to about 4 degrees below the horizon at midday. That's civil twilight: for a few hours around noon the sky turns deep blue and pink, bright enough to see the landscape and walk outside without a light, especially with snow on the ground. The rest of the day is dark, and on clear nights the northern lights are often out.

The shortest and longest days

The flip side is summer. In Utqiaġvik the sun doesn't set for about 82 days, from around May 12 to August 1, 2027. Fairbanks gets nearly 22 hours of sunlight in late June, and the sky never gets fully dark.

How Alaskans cope with the dark

Communities in the far north keep busy through the dark season with indoor sports, community events and outdoor activities by headlamp. Many people use bright light boxes in the morning, and doctors often suggest getting outside during the midday twilight. Utqiaġvik celebrates the sun's return in late January. If you're visiting, the dark months are the best time for northern lights, and the twilight at noon makes for striking photos.

Questions people ask

How many days of darkness are there in Alaska?

Only the far north gets days with no sunrise at all. In Utqiaġvik (Barrow), the northernmost town, the sun sets around November 18 and doesn't rise again until about January 23: roughly 65 days. Prudhoe Bay and Kaktovik get about 53 to 55 days, Anaktuvuk Pass about 4 weeks. Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau never have a day without sunrise; they get short days instead.

Is it completely dark for two months in Utqiaġvik?

No. During the polar night the sun stays below the horizon, but at the winter solstice it only dips to about 4 degrees below at midday, so there are a few hours of blue twilight around noon. Real 24-hour darkness happens only much closer to the North Pole.

When does Alaska stay dark?

The darkest stretch is from late November to mid-January, centered on the winter solstice (December 21). The polar night in Utqiaġvik in 2026–27 runs from November 19 to January 22.

How many hours of daylight does Fairbanks get in winter?

About 3 hours and 42 minutes on the shortest day, December 21, with sunrise near 11 a.m. and sunset around 2:40 p.m. In June, Fairbanks gets almost 22 hours.

How much daylight does Anchorage get in winter?

About 5 hours and 27 minutes on December 21: sunrise around 10:14 a.m., sunset around 3:41 p.m.

Does Alaska have the midnight sun?

Yes. In Utqiaġvik the sun doesn't set at all from about May 12 to August 1, around 82 days. Fairbanks doesn't get true midnight sun, but in June the sun sets after midnight and it never gets fully dark.

Related: Alaska time zone · sunrise and sunset times · day and night map · solstice · moonrise and moonset

Last updated October 23, 2026. Times calculated with Astronomy Engine for a flat horizon; mountains can block the low sun for longer.