Father’s Day this year is extra special: It shares the day with summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.
Enjoy it. The rare combination won’t happen again until June 20, 2037, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
But how long is that longest day?
It all depends on how far north you are from the equator.
Key West is a little more 1,600 miles north of the equator, so we do see some difference between the longest and shortest days, it’s not as much as, say, northern Alaska!
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When does summer start?
The start of summer depends on which summer you’re referring to: meteorological or astronomical.
Meteorological and astronomical seasons begin and end on different dates. The reason has to do with how each are defined.
According to National Centers for Environmental Information, meteorological seasons were created because traditional seasons varied from 89 to 93 days. That made it difficult to compare statistics from one year to another.
So meteorological seasons are:
Astronomical seasons are based on the position of the Earth as it makes its annual trip around the sun, according to NOAA. Seasons are defined by two solstices and two equinoxes.
So astronomical seasons in 2026 are:
When is summer solstice 2026?
The June solstice occurs on Sunday, June 21, at 4:24 a.m. ET, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
The summer solstice marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.
The day marks the time when the North Pole is at its maximum tilt toward the sun.
The result? The longest day — the longest period of sunlight hours — and shortest night of the year, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
“This effect is greatest in locations that are farther away from the equator,” according to timeanddate.com.
How long is the longest day of the year in Florida?
Here’s a comparison around Florida on how many daylight hours you can expect on the solstice June 21. Don’t see your city? Enter it here.
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Pensacola, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Tallahassee, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Jacksonville, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Daytona Beach, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Melbourne, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Port St. Lucie, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in West Palm Beach, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Miami, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Naples, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Fort Myers, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Sarasota, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Tampa, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
When is sunrise, sunset on longest day of year in Orlando, Florida? How many hours of daylight?
Compare daylight hours on solstice to US cities farther north
All times are local and provided by timeanddate.com.
Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Father’s Day extra special this year. Here’s why
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
