Clearwater Beach Sunset Time: By Month, Golden Hour and Where to Watch

What time is sunset at Clearwater Beach today?

On Sunday, October 4, 2026, the sun sets at 7:14 p.m. EDT. Golden light begins around 6:43 p.m. Civil twilight ends at 7:37 p.m.; after that, the U.S. Naval Observatory says, you'd normally need artificial light to do anything outdoors.

For other dates, use the monthly table below. If you want the exact minute, the U.S. Naval Observatory's one-day sun data service and the NOAA Solar Calculator both work: enter latitude 27.9775, longitude -82.8285 (the Pier 60 area) and Eastern time. For a date between two rows, splitting the difference gets you within two or three minutes, except across a clock change.

From the north end of the island down to Sand Key Park (1060 Gulf Blvd), sunset varies by less than a minute. One number works for every hotel on the beach.

Sunset times by month, October 2026 to September 2027

All times are local, rounded to the minute, for a flat sea horizon at Pier 60. "Golden light" is when the sun drops to about 6 degrees above the horizon, a marker many photographers use for golden hour. "Last light" is the end of civil twilight.

The earliest sunset comes in early December, not on the winter solstice. By December 21 it has already crept back to 5:41 p.m. The clock changes also move your evening more than the seasons do: on Saturday, March 13, 2027, the sun sets at 6:39 p.m., and the next evening it sets at 7:39 p.m.

Sunset on holidays and busy dates

When is golden hour and blue hour at Clearwater Beach?

Golden hour has no official definition. Photographers usually mean the stretch when the sun is less than about 6 degrees above the horizon. On this coast that's 31 to 35 minutes before sunset, a little longer in December and June than around the equinoxes, and it's the "golden light from" column in the table.

Once the sun is down, civil twilight runs another 23 to 27 minutes. The U.S. Naval Observatory puts its end at the moment the center of the sun is 6 degrees below the horizon. The deep blue sky photographers call blue hour falls in that window and just after it. If you're shooting the pier or the shoreline, stay at least 20 minutes past sunset. Leave the moment the sun disappears and you miss the afterglow.

What time does Sunsets at Pier 60 start?

Sunsets at Pier 60 is the free nightly festival of craft vendors and street performers in Pier 60 Park, 370 Mandalay Ave. Its website says it runs year-round, weather permitting, "from 2 hours before until 2 hours after sunset." As of October 2026 the same site also lists fixed "current" hours of 6 to 10 p.m., which its FAQ calls summer hours. Those posted hours change with the season, so check the festival's hours page on the day.

If all you know is the sunset time, the two-hour rule gets you close. A 5:35 p.m. sunset in early December puts the start around 3:35 p.m. An 8:32 p.m. sunset around the Fourth of July puts it near 6:30 p.m. Our Sunsets at Pier 60 guide covers what goes on there.

The festival's FAQ also notes that animals aren't allowed on Pier 60 or the bathing beaches (service dogs excepted). Leave the dog at the hotel.

Where is the best place to watch the sunset?

The whole beach faces the Gulf, so it's hard to pick a bad spot. What separates them is crowds, parking and how long you can stay afterward.

Pier 60 is the obvious choice, so expect company and allow extra time to park on festival nights. The parking guide lists the garages and lots. If you can walk from your hotel, walk.

For a change of scene, see Pass-a-Grille and other sunset beaches nearby.

How early should you book a sunset dinner or cruise?

Restaurants book by the clock, not the sun, so you have to do the math. Use the table above and work backward.

• Sunset dinner: be seated 45 to 60 minutes before sunset. You order and get drinks in the golden light, then eat while the sky colors up. In early December that means a table around 4:45 p.m.; in late June, around 7:30 p.m. The sunset dinner guide covers which dining rooms actually face the water. For something more casual, take a drink at a beach bar on the sand instead.
• Cruise: choose the departure that gets you out of the marina and onto the Gulf at least 30 minutes before sunset. A trip sold as a sunset cruise has to move with the sun, so a departure time from a June review won't fit a January evening. Confirm the time for your date when you book.
• Festival plus dinner: in winter, with sunset before 6 p.m., do the festival first and eat after dark. In summer, eat first and walk over for the last half hour of light.

Can you see the green flash at Clearwater Beach?

Yes, when the air cooperates. Andrew T. Young, whose green flash pages are hosted by San Diego State University, lists two main requirements. One is a horizon below eye level, and a sea horizon is ideal. Clearwater Beach has that every night. The other is clear air, because haze and humidity scatter the green light away before it reaches you. In a muggy Florida summer, that's the hard part.

Young says a flash usually lasts only a second or two at moderate latitudes, and the green patch is often so small it sits near the limit of what the eye can resolve. Don't expect a burst of light. He calls the day after a cold front "very favorable," and notes that water is warmer than the air most often in winter. Here, that means crisp evenings from late fall through early spring, right after a front has come through.

Frequently asked questions

What time is sunset in Clearwater in December?

Between 5:35 and 5:46 p.m. EST. It's 5:35 p.m. from November 28 through December 4, the earliest of the year, then slowly gets later: 5:38 p.m. on December 15, 5:42 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 5:46 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

What is the latest sunset at Clearwater Beach?

8:32 p.m. EDT, from June 27 through July 6. Sunset stays at 8:20 p.m. or later from about May 25 through August 3.

What time is the Pier 60 sunset celebration?

Two hours before to two hours after sunset, nightly, weather permitting. The festival also posts fixed hours on its website (6 to 10 p.m. as of October 2026), so check that page on the day.

Is sunset the same time at Sand Key and North Beach?

Close enough to make no difference: less than a minute apart. Just remember that Sand Key Park closes at sunset.

Does the sun set over the water all year?

Yes. The sun sets about 26 degrees south of due west in December and about 27 degrees north of west in June, and both directions put it over open Gulf.

Is sunrise worth getting up for?

Not on the beach itself; the sun comes up behind the island. For the sun rising over water, drive 3 miles to Bay Park on Sand Key, or to the Dunedin Causeway from March to September. The sunrise guide explains where to see the sun rise over water.