The shift into fall is about to become a lot more noticeable in New Jersey. On Friday, Sept. 19, the sun will dip below the horizon before 7 p.m. across the entire state for the first time this season—a clear signal that shorter days are here.
In Trenton, the official sunset will take place at 6:58 p.m., according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. Evening twilight should wrap up around 7:26 p.m., which means by about 7 o’clock it will feel fully dark.
Why NJ Sees Early Sunsets
New Jersey is among the first states in the country to reach this “pre-7 p.m.” milestone. Only a few places farther north hit the earlier sunsets sooner. Two main factors drive this in the Garden State:
- Latitude: The farther north you are, the faster daylight hours change when the seasons shift. The Earth’s tilt is what gives us those long summer evenings up north—and why the nights set in quickly come September and October.
- Time Zone: New Jersey sits on the eastern edge of the Eastern Time Zone. That positioning pushes sunsets earlier than in states like Michigan, which, even though it’s farther north, won’t see a sunset before 7 p.m. until October 13 because it’s on the western side of the same time zone.
How NJ Compares
Across the U.S., the timing varies widely. While New Jersey edges into earlier evenings by mid-September, many states won’t hit that same benchmark for weeks. For residents here, though, it means dinnertime will soon be spent under darker skies—and that the fall season is truly underway.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.