70 Straight Days of Sunshine

From May 17 through July 27, Fairbanks enjoys an incredible 70 consecutive days of continuous sunshine. This is the peak of the broader Midnight Sun Season, which runs from April 22 to August 20. 

During this time, the sun lingers in the sky, creating dreamy summer days, glowing nights, and endless opportunities for Alaskan adventure. Whether you’re hiking at midnight or kayaking under a soft pink sky, summer in Fairbanks feels limitless. 

When does the midnight sun happen in Fairbanks? 

• Midnight Sun Season: April 22 – August 20 

• 70 Days of Sunlight: May 17 – July 27  

Why does Fairbanks get 24-hour daylight? 

Fairbanks’ extended daylight is all about location and the tilt of the Earth. 

• Latitude: Fairbanks sits at approximately 64.8° North 

• Earth’s tilt: During summer, the Northern Hemisphere tilts towards the sun. 

• Result: The sun stays above, or just barely below the horizon for extended periods, allowing continuous civil twilight to persist throughout the night. 

As the season progresses, the sun’s cyclical path across the sky elevates, and eventually there is no darkness, only light. Instead of night, Fairbanks experiences continuous civil twilight that merges sunsets and sunrises together. 

What is civil twilight? 

Civil twilight, occurs when the sun is between 0° and 6° below the horizon. During this phase, there’s enough natural light to see clearly outdoors. In Fairbanks, continuous civil twilight from May 17 – July 27 creates the effect of 24-hour daylight, even when the sun briefly dips below the horizon. This is what gives Fairbanks its signature soft, glowing “midnight sun” light. 

Credit: Rick Thoman/Climate Science and Services Manager 

This graph represents the significant annual changes in light in Fairbanks. The different colored bands represent civil, nautical and astronomical twilight: the three types of twilight as articulated by the number of degrees the sun is below the horizon on any given day. 

How much daylight does Fairbanks get? 

Daylight hours increase rapidly in spring and peak around summer solstice in June. Every year, Fairbanks celebrates summer solstice by throwing Alaska’s largest single-day event, the Midnight Sun Festival.  

Check out the Midnight Sun Tracker to find out how many hours of daylight there are on any given day in Fairbanks, Coldfoot and Utqiagvik, plus view multiple webcams streaming 24 hours of light.  

You can also view real-time conditions in downtown Fairbanks with the live Chena River webcam. 

Things to do during Midnight Sun Season  

There’s a lot to do under the Midnight Sun, and constant sunshine is the experience of a lifetime! You'll find yourself having incredible amounts of energy and losing track of time in the best way. During Midnight Sun Season, it’s easy to stay out later than planned, hike at midnight, fish at 1am, and explore Fairbanks long after you’d normally call it a day.