Sunrise Time
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Current Local Time
—This sunrise calculator shows the exact sunrise time for any city or coordinates worldwide, updated live with a countdown.
What Is Sunrise Time?
Sunrise time is the exact moment when the upper edge of the sun first appears above the horizon as seen from your location. Like sunset, this instant depends on your latitude, longitude, and the time of year — but sunrise carries its own unique twist. The atmospheric refraction that extends sunset works in reverse at dawn, making the sun visible slightly before it geometrically clears the horizon.
Our calculator applies the same 0.833° refraction correction used for sunset, which means the sun is still 0.833° below the geometric horizon at the moment we call sunrise. This standard correction is essential for accurate planning — without it, your sunrise time would be off by several minutes. For photographers chasing dawn light and early risers planning their morning, that difference matters.
How Our Sunrise Time Calculator Works
Our sunrise calculator runs entirely in your browser using the SunCalc library, which implements the Jean Meeus astronomical algorithms. It computes the precise moment the sun's upper limb first appears above the horizon at your specified coordinates and date, applying the standard atmospheric refraction correction of 0.833°.
The tool calculates the sun's right ascension and declination, then iteratively solves for the hour angle that places the sun at the correct depression angle below the geometric horizon, adjusted for atmospheric refraction and observer elevation. The entire computation runs locally on your device — no server calls, no data transmission, instant results.
FAQ — Sunrise Time
What time is sunrise at my location today?
Use the calculator above and enter your city or coordinates to get today's exact sunrise time. In my experience, the results are accurate to within seconds for most populated locations. If you're at high elevation, remember the sun rises roughly 1 minute earlier per 300 meters of altitude — a factor the base algorithm doesn't include.
Why does the sunrise time change by a few minutes each day?
The daily shift is caused by Earth's orbital motion around the sun combined with the planet's axial tilt. I've noticed the shift is most dramatic around the equinoxes — up to 2 minutes per day — and slowest near the solstices when the sun's declination barely changes. The analemma (the figure-8 pattern the sun traces in the sky over a year) visually explains why this happens.
Is sunrise earlier at higher altitudes?
Yes — roughly 1 minute earlier per 300 meters of elevation gain. At sea level, the sun has to climb higher to clear the horizon, but from a mountaintop you're already partway into the sun's path. Mexico City at 2,240 meters gets sunrise about 7 minutes earlier than a sea-level city at the same latitude. The effect is most noticeable on clear, unobstructed eastern horizons.
What is the difference between astronomical and civil sunrise?
Astronomical sunrise is when the sun first appears at the geometric horizon (0° depression). Civil sunrise applies the refraction correction we use, meaning the sun is still 0.833° below the geometric horizon but visually appears on the horizon. Civil sunrise is what most people experience — it's when you first see the sun and the sky begins to brighten noticeably.
Why does sunrise time differ between nearby cities?
Even small longitude differences shift sunrise time because the sun rises in the east and moves west — cities further east see it first. Latitude matters too: at higher latitudes, the sun rises at a shallower angle, so small position changes have bigger effects. Elevation and local terrain also play roles that pure coordinate calculations can't capture.