Brace yourselves: This is the last date the sun will go down after 7pm in NYC until spring

One minute we’re basking in 8pm golden hours (remember those dreamy July nights?) and the next we’re squinting into twilight before dinner. It’s not your imagination: Days really are shrinking. Summer’s lingering light is slipping away and New York is about to hit one of those sneaky seasonal milestones that quietly changes our routines: the last 7pm sunset of the year.

Mark your calendar: Wednesday, September 17, 2025, will be the final day the sun sets at or after 7pm in New York City. Sunset will officially hit at 7:01pm, with sunrise at 6:38 am—just over 12 hours and 22 minutes of daylight. Consider it your last chance to leave the office and still pretend you’ve got hours of daylight left.

RECOMMENDED: The best fall activities in NYC to do with the arrival of autumn

From there, it’s all downhill. On Thursday, September 18, the sun dips at 6:59pm, and each evening will get a little shorter until we reach December 21, the winter solstice—a.k.a. the shortest day of the year—with just 9 hours and 15 minutes of daylight. Translation: Bundle up and get used to leaving happy hour in the dark.

Of course, it’s not all bad news. The flip side of earlier sunsets is the return of cozy autumn evenings. Hoodie weather, cooler breezes and the thrill of watching the city glow under streetlights again? Pretty unbeatable. Plus, fall sunsets often hit different; the colors are richer, the air is crisper, and the city skyline looks like it’s been run through a filter.

But still, if you’re a golden-hour chaser, the clock is ticking. These next few weeks are prime time for rooftop drinks, park hangs or just that post-work walk that makes you feel like you’ve squeezed every last drop out of summer. Pro tip: NYC was recently named home to one of the best sunset-viewing spots in the country, so keep your camera handy.

Whether you’re clinging to iced coffees or already cozying up to pumpkin spice, let this be your cue: Step outside, look west and soak up those final golden rays before they’re gone. The next 7pm sunset won’t be back until spring—when we’ll be more than ready for it.