When the sun lines up with the streets in Chicago
Next Chicagohenge · sunset
Mar 17–18
In 135 days: the setting sun down Adams Street at 6:57 pm, best on Wed, Mar 17
Sunrise Mar 20–21Sunrise Sep 22–23Sunset Sep 24–25
The sun and Adams Street
Drag along the year: on henge days the sun sits in the gap at the end of the street
← 19.0° left
Every Chicagohenge, 2026 and 2027
| Dates | Sun | Half sun | Full sun | Looking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17–18, 2026 | Sunset | Tue, Mar 17, 6:58 pm | Wed, Mar 18, 6:57 pm | west, 269.3° |
| Mar 20–21, 2026 | Sunrise | Sat, Mar 21, 6:53 am | Sat, Mar 21, 6:55 am | east, 89.3° |
| Sep 21–23, 2026 | Sunrise | Tue, Sep 22, 6:39 am | Tue, Sep 22, 6:41 am | east, 89.3° |
| Sep 24–25, 2026 | Sunset | Thu, Sep 24, 6:42 pm | Thu, Sep 24, 6:40 pm | west, 269.3° |
| Mar 17–18, 2027 | Sunset | Wed, Mar 17, 6:57 pm | Thu, Mar 18, 6:57 pm | west, 269.3° |
| Mar 20–21, 2027 | Sunrise | Sun, Mar 21, 6:53 am | Sun, Mar 21, 6:55 am | east, 89.3° |
| Sep 22–23, 2027 | Sunrise | Wed, Sep 22, 6:39 am | Wed, Sep 22, 6:40 am | east, 89.3° |
| Sep 24–25, 2027 | Sunset | Sat, Sep 25, 6:41 pm | Fri, Sep 24, 6:41 pm | west, 269.3° |
The half sun has its centre on the horizon; the full sun sits whole just above it. The days either side still frame the sun, a little to one side.
Where to watch
Any long, straight street in the Loop on the grid works: Adams Street, Monroe Street, Madison Street, Washington Street, East South Water Street, West Upper Wacker Drive. West at sunset and east at sunrise. The farther you can see down it, the better.
Get there 20 minutes early, stay on the sidewalk, and look for a clear horizon at the street’s end. Will Chicago’s sky be clear?
Writing about Chicagohenge?
These dates are free to use. Each one has its own link (click a row’s date), and a line like this credits them:
<a href="https://meridian-clock.com/henge/chicago">Chicagohenge dates</a> from Meridian Clock
About these dates
Hills, skyline at the far end and the exact block you stand on can move the best evening by a day, which is why each henge is a window, not one date.
Street directions from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Something wrong or missing here? Send feedback