Looking west on Douglas Ave. on September 21, 2020. The city is working on what it calls “traffic signal optimization” on Douglas from McLean to Hydraulic, and the end result should mean that people driving on the main downtown thoroughfare will catch more green lights more often.
The Wichita Eagle
If you’re tired of the sun setting earlier and earlier each evening, you’ll only have to wait a few more weeks for a bit more sunlight.
That’s because in addition to the end of daylight saving time, when residents turned their clocks back an hour, the winter solstice is less than a month away. The solstice marks the shortest day of sunlight of the year, and once it passes, Kansas residents will slowly start to see more and more daylight.
This year’s winter solstice is Sunday, Dec. 21 at 9:03 a.m. Central Standard Time. It’s also the beginning of astronomical winter. After that shortest day, the sunsets will happen later each day, giving Kansans more daylight.
According to online clock Timeanddate.com, Wichita will see the sun rise at 7:40 a.m. and sunset at 5:14 p.m. Dec. 21, making the length of daylight 9 hours and 33 minutes.
Here’s a look at sunrise and sunset times in Wichita after the winter solstice on Dec. 21:
- Thursday, Dec. 25 (Christmas): Sun rises at 7:42 a.m. and sets at 5:16 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 31 (New Year’s Eve): Sun rises at 7:44 a.m. and sets at 5:20 p.m.
- Thursday, Jan. 1 (New Year’s Day): Sun rises at 7:44 a.m. and sets at 5:21 p.m.
- Thursday, Jan. 15: Sun rises at 7:43 and sets at 5:34.
- Saturday, Jan 31: Sun rises at 7:33 a.m. and sets at 5:52 p.m.
What is the solstice?
A solstice is an astronomical event that occurs when a planet is either tilted the closest to or the farthest from the star it orbits, according to National Geographic.
The solstice occurs twice a year — once in December and once in June. The next summer solstice will occur Sunday, June 21, which marks the longest day of the year.
This story was originally published December 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
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Lindsay Smith
The Wichita Eagle
Lindsay Smith is a service journalism reporter for the Wichita Eagle. Previously, she was editor-in-chief of Wichita State University’s student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. She graduated from WSU in December 2022 with a degree in journalism.
