San Francisco’s Final Day of Summer 2026 (Sept. 22)

Nicholas Raymond

Get ready to say goodbye to summer. Tuesday, September 22, 2026, marks the Autumnal Equinox, when summer officially gives way to fall in the Northern Hemisphere. The equinox arrives in San Francisco at 5:05 PM, so Tuesday is the last day of astronomical summer.

Even though the days have been getting shorter since the June solstice, we’ve still got a decent stretch of daylight to enjoy. So don’t pack away the picnic blanket just yet.

On September 22, the sun rises in San Francisco at 6:57 AM and sets at 7:06 PM, giving us about 12 hours and 9 minutes of daylight to soak up those final golden rays of summer.

Solar Nerd Alert: The Light Is Fading

• Nearly 3 Hours Less Sunlight
  Compared to the Summer Solstice, we’ve lost about 2 hours and 38 minutes of daylight. On June 21, San Francisco had nearly 14 hours and 47 minutes of daylight. By the equinox, we’re down to just over 12 hours.
• Day & Night Are Nearly Equal
  The equinox is the point when the Sun crosses the celestial equator, bringing us close to equal amounts of day and night. (Hence equi-nox.) From here, the nights will continue getting longer until the Winter Solstice in December.
• 7 PM Sunsets Are Almost Gone
  On September 22, sunset is at 7:06 PM. The very next day, it slips to 7:04 PM, and by September 26, the sun will set right around 7 PM.
• Golden Hour Tip:
  Want to squeeze in one more summer-ish sunset? Head to Ocean Beach, Bernal Hill, or Treasure Island in the early evening. On September 22, sunset isn’t until 7:06 PM, so there’s still plenty of time for an after-work golden-hour outing.

What’s Next?

Don’t be too sad. SF’s fall can still feel a lot like summer, thanks to our famous “Second Summer” in September and October. That means more sunny days, street fairs, outdoor movies, and patio weather before the days really start feeling short.

So go ahead and squeeze in that sunset picnic, neighborhood stroll, or last-minute beach hang. Fall officially arrives September 22, 2026, but in San Francisco, summer doesn’t always get the memo.

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