Summer Solstice Means Longest Day of Year for Oregon, Washington, Coast - But It Gets Trippy

Published 06/18/25 at 6:05 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Manzanita, Oregon) – There's a lot to the June summer solstice that is remarkable and even a bit weird. For one: it's ironic that the longest day of the year is also the first day of summer, yet this means the rest of summer sees daylight getting less and less. (Photo Oregon Coast Beach Connection: not just a sunset in Seaside but also the wondrous sun pillar.)

There's even more, according to OMSI astronomy expert Jim Todd. This includes some interesting aspects for the inland areas of Oregon and Washington as well as the Oregon and Washington coast.

“Believe it or not, summer officially begins with the summer solstice on Friday, June 20th at 7:42 p.m.,” Todd said. “The June solstice is the moment the Sun is directly above the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. This is the northernmost latitude it reaches during the year. After the solstice, it begins moving south again.”

Around Portland (at 45°N latitude), the Sun on June 20 will climb to its highest noon position of the year, reaching approximately 68 degrees above the southern horizon. Daylight will stretch nearly 15 hours and 41 minutes, with sunrise at 5:21 a.m. in the Rose City and sunset at 9:03 p.m.

Pacific City / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Yet for the Washington and Oregon coastlines - because they're quite west of the I-5 Corridor and areas like Seattle, Tacoma, Ashland, Eugene or Salem – sunset happens a bit later out on the beaches. That becomes rather complex as well.

“The period between the June solstice and the September equinox spans close to 93 days of summer,” Todd said. “For comparison, the Winter Solstice offers less than 9 hours of daylight, with the Sun hanging low - just 21 degrees high at noon.”

Otter Rock / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Dusk has other interesting ways of surprising you.

Sunset times are always estimated by a flat plain from which to observe the sun. Yet this means that downtown Portland, for example, will experience sundown much sooner than farther out in SE Portland because the West Hills loom above it.

Oregon Coast Beach Connection actually tested the differences once on the summer solstice. Standing near the Wreck of the Peter Iredale, the sun went down exactly seven minutes later than it did in Portland (according to sunset times that day, however).

Examine those sunset time tables more closely and they start to jumble a bit. Seattle – much farther north – gets sunset about four minutes earlier than the Washington coastline.

Bandon - courtesy Manuela Durson - Manuela Durson Fine Arts

The differences sort of reverse on the south Oregon coast.

Coos Bay, for example, gets sundown at 9:01 p.m., before Portland, but only slightly later than south Oregon spots like Medford. Lincoln City clocks in just a few minutes later than Portland.

Technically, if you want just a few more minutes of daylight and you're in Portland, head to Seaside by the end of the day and you'll get an extra seven minutes.

Looking at the bigger picture, things get even trippier.

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“On the day of the June solstice, the Sun reaches its northernmost position, as seen from the Earth,” Todd said. “At that moment, its zenith does not move north or south as during most other days of the year, but it stands still at the Tropic of Cancer. It then reverses its direction and starts moving south again.”

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