Cities with the Earliest Sunrise
The earliest sunrise depends on both longitude (how far east a city is) and latitude (high-latitude cities in summer see early dawn). The cities below consistently show some of the earliest sunrise times among major world cities, making them ideal destinations for morning photographers.
City Comparison: Today's Times
| City | Country | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suva | Fiji | 06:08 | 18:29 | 12h 22m |
| Wellington | New Zealand | 07:09 | 19:57 | 12h 48m |
| Auckland | New Zealand | 07:12 | 19:54 | 12h 42m |
| Christchurch | New Zealand | 07:16 | 20:07 | 12h 51m |
| Nouméa | New Caledonia | 05:54 | 18:19 | 12h 25m |
| Brisbane | Australia | 05:45 | 18:15 | 12h 31m |
| Sydney | Australia | 06:48 | 19:26 | 12h 38m |
| Port Moresby | Papua New Guinea | 06:16 | 18:30 | 12h 14m |
| Melbourne | Australia | 07:11 | 19:54 | 12h 43m |
| Sapporo | Japan | 06:03 | 17:31 | 11h 28m |
| Sendai | Japan | 06:02 | 17:36 | 11h 34m |
| Tokyo | Japan | 06:05 | 17:42 | 11h 37m |
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which city sees sunrise first?
- Among major cities, Auckland (New Zealand) and Tokyo are typically among the first to see sunrise due to their eastern longitudes. At high latitudes in summer, cities like Helsinki and Oslo see very early dawns around 3am to 4am.
- Does longitude affect sunrise time?
- Yes. Each degree of longitude east shifts sunrise approximately 4 minutes earlier. Cities at the eastern edge of their timezone see sunrise earliest, while western-edge cities see it latest.
- Why does Japan have such early sunrises?
- Japan is one of the world's easternmost major countries. Tokyo at 139 degrees east longitude sees sunrise very early. In summer, civil dawn begins before 4am in Tokyo.