Site & performance · Switzerland
Sun path diagram for Zurich
Solstice and equinox sun paths, sunrise, sunset and day length for Zurich, computed for 2026 in local clock time.
The generator preloads Zurich, works out the UTC offset for any date from its time zone, and lets you change the projection, add obstructions and export SVG, PNG or CSV. All calculations run in your browser.
Sunrise, sunset and day length in Zurich
Local clock times for 2026 from the SunCalc engine, using the standard −0.833° sunrise and sunset horizon. Solar noon is when the sun crosses the local meridian; noon altitude is its height above the horizon at that moment.
| Date | Clock | Sunrise | Sunset | Solar noon | Day length | Noon altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 equinox | UTC+1 | 06:30 | 18:38 | 12:34 | 12 h 08 min | 42.4° |
| June 21 solstice | UTC+2 | 05:30 | 21:27 | 13:28 | 15 h 57 min | 66.1° |
| September 22 equinox | UTC+2 | 07:13 | 19:26 | 13:20 | 12 h 13 min | 43.0° |
| December 21 solstice | UTC+1 | 08:11 | 16:38 | 12:25 | 8 h 27 min | 19.2° |
Where Zurich sits and how its clock works
Zurich lies at 47.38° north, 8.54° east, in the northern hemisphere's temperate belt. Its clocks follow the Europe/Zurich time zone, UTC+1 in winter and UTC+2 while daylight saving is in force, and every time on this page is already in the local clock time for its date.
Sun angles through the year in Zurich
The sun is highest on June 21, reaching 66.1° above the horizon at solar noon (13:28 local time). On December 21 it climbs only to 19.2°. The 46.9° difference is twice the 23.44° tilt of Earth's axis. At the March and September equinoxes the noon sun stands at about 42.7°, which is 90° minus the latitude. At solar noon the sun is always to the south, so the south-facing side of a building is the sunny one all year.
Sunrise swings a long way along the horizon during the year. On June 21 the sun rises at azimuth 53.1° (north-east) and sets at 307.3° (north-west); on December 21 it rises at 125.1° and sets at 235.3°. At the equinoxes it rises close to due east and sets close to due west. That 72° swing is why an east-facing window in Zurich gets generous summer morning sun and much less in midwinter.
Day length, sunrise and sunset
Daylight runs from 15 h 57 min on June 21 to 8 h 27 min on December 21, a difference of 7 h 30 min. Sunrise moves between 05:30 and 08:11 across the year and sunset between 16:38 and 21:27 on the local clock, daylight saving included. Solar noon falls at 13:28 on June 21 and 12:25 on December 21, the shift coming mostly from the change of clock offset.
What this means for buildings in Zurich
For design, the south-facing facade collects the useful winter sun, which enters at only 19.2° at noon and reaches deep into a room, while a horizontal overhang sized for the 66.1° summer noon sun keeps that same glazing shaded in the warm months. East and west windows see low sun morning and evening in every season and are harder to shade with overhangs, so use fins, external blinds or deciduous planting there. The north-facing side gets only grazing sun near sunrise and sunset in summer.
Reading the diagram
The diagram uses the equidistant projection: the centre is the zenith, the outer ring is the horizon and the rings between mark 30° and 60° altitude, with north at the top and azimuth running clockwise. The dark curve is the September equinox, amber is June 21 and grey is December 21; the band between the amber and grey curves is the only part of the sky the sun ever occupies over Zurich, and dots mark every second clock hour. Open the generator to switch to a stereographic projection, choose any date, add up to eight obstructions and export the diagram as SVG or PNG, or the hourly data as CSV.