Sunset Times in Fort Lauderdale 2026
Know your date?Departure times are fixed but sunset moves by nearly three hours across the year, so the calendar is the only place to confirm a boat is still out when the sun goes down. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.
Check dates and timesMonth-by-month sunset table
These times are for the 15th of each month at Fort Lauderdale (26.1224° N, 80.1373° W). Useful light lasts roughly 25 minutes past sunset — the end of civil twilight when detail starts to disappear.
| Month | Sunset | Sky still good until |
|---|---|---|
| January | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM |
| February | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM |
| March | 7:29 PM | 7:54 PM |
| April | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM |
| May | 7:59 PM | 8:24 PM |
| June | 8:13 PM | 8:38 PM |
| July | 8:14 PM | 8:39 PM |
| August | 7:56 PM | 8:21 PM |
| September | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM |
| October | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM |
| November | 5:30 PM | 5:55 PM |
| December | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM |
Why the daylight-saving jumps matter
The two dates when clocks change catch a lot of cruises off guard. On 8 March clocks jump forward an hour, pushing sunset from 6:13 PM to 7:29 PM in one overnight jump. On 1 November they fall back, dropping it from 6:52 PM to 5:30 PM just as hard.
A boat that leaves at 5:00 PM and returns at 6:15 PM is on the water during sunset on most winter days. After 8 March, that return time lands before the sun moves to 7:29 PM, so it misses. After 1 November it catches it again. The tables below show exactly when.
Which published sailings actually contain sunset
Essential hedge: these are the departure times each operator prints on its own listing as of 2 September 2026. Operators add and move seasonal sailings throughout the year. The booking calendar is the authority for the date you want to visit — check it before you book.
Riverfront Cruises: 75 minutes
Sailings named on the listing as 5:00 PM (back 6:15 PM) and 6:30 PM (back 7:45 PM). These are shared by both Riverfront listings: Millionaire's Row at $36 and the $39 Venice of America cruise.
| Sailing | Contains sunset |
|---|---|
| 5:00 PM (back 6:15 PM) | 1 Jan–18 Feb, 1 Nov–31 Dec |
| 6:30 PM (back 7:45 PM) | 8 Mar–19 Apr, 26 Aug–31 Oct |
| Gap where both miss | 20 Apr–25 Aug, 19 Feb–7 Mar |
Neither named sailing reaches sunset from 20 April to 25 August. In high summer the 6:30 PM boat is back at the dock roughly half an hour before the sun goes down.
Staying Afloat: 2 hours
Published sailings 10 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM and 7 PM. The 7 PM is the evening one; the daytime sailings stop to swim at a sandbar.
| Sailing | Contains sunset |
|---|---|
| 4:00 PM (back 6:00 PM) | 1–28 Jan, 1 Nov–31 Dec |
| 7:00 PM (back 9:00 PM) | 8 Mar–7 Oct |
| 1:00 PM | Never |
| Gap where 4 & 7 both miss | 29 Jan–7 Mar, 8–31 Oct |
The 7:00 PM sailing holds sunset for the longest stretch of the year: 8 March through 7 October is 244 consecutive days.
Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi: 90 minutes, daytime only
Published departures 11 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM. The 3 PM is back at 4:30 PM.
None of these published departures contains sunset on any day of the year. This is a daytime sightseeing cruise. It appears in sunset searches because of the price, not the schedule.
Sea Rocket sunset cruise
Publishes no departure times. The listing says “check availability to see starting times.”
Intracoastal dinner cruise
Publishes no departure times. The listing says “check availability to see starting times.”
Private charter
You choose the time. The operator tells you to check the sunset time for your date and book the correct slot. That is exactly what this table is for.
Check your own date
The dates above are the ones this site can compute. What no table can tell you is whether a given sailing still has seats. The $55 downtown cruise is the best-rated boat here and the one with the widest sunset window — 7 PM catches sunset from 8 March to 7 October. Put your date in and see. If it falls in a gap, the comparison page says which boat to switch to.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the sun set in Fort Lauderdale?
It ranges from 5:28 PM on 22 November to 8:16 PM on 24 June. Mid-month times: January 5:50 PM, March 7:29 PM, June 8:13 PM, September 7:24 PM, December 5:31 PM. See the full month-by-month table above.
Why do the sunset times jump on certain dates?
Daylight saving time. On 8 March clocks spring forward, pushing sunset from 6:13 PM to 7:29 PM overnight. On 1 November they fall back, dropping it from 6:52 PM to 5:30 PM. This catches cruises with fixed departure times off guard, and many boats miss sunset for weeks around those dates.
How much light do I have after sunset?
About 25 minutes of usable light — the end of civil twilight. After that the detail starts to fade. That 25 minutes is why a boat that returns 25 minutes after sunset can still work, and why a boat that leaves 25 minutes after sunset cannot.
How do I know which boat will be out during sunset on my date?
Check the table on this page for the sailings with published times, and use the calendar to confirm the date. Two boats don't publish times — the Sea Rocket and the dinner cruise — so you have to check availability for those. For a private charter you pick the exact slot.
The table says a boat misses sunset from April to August — is that really true?
On the published times Riverfront lists, yes. The 5:00 PM boat (back 6:15 PM) returns before a 7:43+ PM sunset. The 6:30 PM boat (back 7:45 PM) returns just in time through April, but after 25 August the boat is docked while the sun is still up. Operators do add seasonal sailings, so check the calendar before you book.
What if I book the wrong date?
Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure on most tours. That is why the calendar exists — to confirm the boat you want is still on the water when you want to visit.