Time and Date data show Albuquerque's earliest sunset was Dec. 5 at 4:54 p.m., and sunsets begin moving later afterward. By the end of December sunsets reach about 5:05 p.m., by late January about 5:34 p.m., and by late February roughly 6:01 p.m. Daylight Saving Time returns on March 8, which will extend evening light further. The earliest sunsets occur before the Dec. 21 winter solstice because the civil clock and the solar day don’t align perfectly due to Earth’s orbit and axial tilt.
When New Mexico Will Start Getting Longer Evenings — Albuquerque Sunset Times Explained
Good news for New Mexico residents who want more daylight in the evening: Time and Date data show Albuquerque's sunsets are already beginning to shift later.
Sunset Timeline for Albuquerque
Here’s what to expect in the coming weeks and months:
- Earliest sunset: Dec. 5 at 4:54 p.m.
- Dec. 11: Sunset moves to 4:55 p.m., a small but noticeable shift over time.
- End of December: Sunset around 5:05 p.m.
- End of January: Sunset about 5:34 p.m.
- End of February: Sunset about 6:01 p.m.
- Daylight Saving Time: Returns on March 8, which will push evening daylight even later.
Why The Earliest Sunset Happens Before The Solstice
The winter solstice on Dec. 21 is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning it has the least total daylight. However, the earliest sunsets occur several weeks earlier because our 24-hour civil clock does not perfectly match the length of the solar day. That mismatch changes over the year due to the Earth’s elliptical orbit and the tilt of its axis, so sunrise and sunset times shift in ways that aren’t perfectly symmetric around the solstice.
The change is subtle at first but becomes more noticeable as the weeks pass. For up-to-date local sunrise and sunset times, check Time and Date or local weather resources.
Source: Time and Date; reported by KRQE News 13. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
