Beach Guide

Cocoa Beach Sunset

Cocoa Beach Pier · painted for this minute from Cocoa Beach’s own horizon and tonight’s cloud forecast

Wed Oct 28 · — EDTLIVE

Golden hour · the sun is 0.9° up · some cloud at 67% · low clouds 67% on the horizon

The sun goes down at

6:38 PM

T-00:05:00

Cocoa Beach faces east, so the sun goes down behind you, over land, 4 min before the official sunset time of 6:42 PM. Face the water for the pink afterglow in the half hour after. Cocoa Beach Pier is in the view. Best light from 6:18 PM to 7:08 PM.

Sunset Score · Scattered clouds (62% cover): the best kind of sky, the clouds light up orange and pink. Low clouds (62%) along the horizon could hide the sun a few minutes early.

4 PM · 6:33 PM · 9:30 PM

Prefer the real thing? Watch the live Pier Cam cam →

Tonight’s Lineup

artisans & buskers
🏄

Pier Surfers

all day

🎸

Pier Live Music

after sunset

🚀

Rocket Launches

check schedule

🎣

Pier Anglers

all evening

🌅

Sunrise Surfers

early risers

Know Before You Go

Pier walk

small fee

the historic Cocoa Beach Pier charges to walk out

Sun sets

west

over the Banana River, not the ocean

Launch view

north

rockets rise over the pads - any hour, day or night

Sunrise

over water

the Atlantic faces east - dawn is the ocean show

see you at sunset

Tonight’s times, the week ahead and the year by month are below. Pier Nights runs nightly, weather permitting, from about two hours before sunset.

What time is sunset at Cocoa Beach tonight?

Tonight, Wednesday, October 28, the sun sets at 6:42 PM at Cocoa Beach. Cocoa Beach faces east, so the sun goes down behind the beach, over land. Turn and face the water for the pink and purple afterglow in the half hour after. Golden hour starts at 6:09 PM, and the sky stays light until about 7:05 PM. Tonight's Sunset Score is 9 out of 10. Scattered clouds (62% cover): the best kind of sky, the clouds light up orange and pink.

Sunrise today was at 7:32 AM, which gives Cocoa Beach 11 hr 10 min of daylight. It is fully dark by about 7:33 PM.

Cocoa Beach sunset times this week

The next seven evenings at Cocoa Beach: when the sun goes down, when golden hour starts and when the last light fades, plus the Sunset Score from each night's cloud forecast.

DaySunsetGolden hourLast lightCloudScore
Tonight6:42 PMfrom 6:09 PM7:05 PM62%9/10
Thu Oct 296:42 PMfrom 6:08 PM7:05 PM86%3/10
Fri Oct 306:41 PMfrom 6:07 PM7:04 PM33%9/10
Sat Oct 316:40 PMfrom 6:06 PM7:03 PM64%9/10
Sun Nov 15:39 PMfrom 5:06 PM6:02 PM100%3/10
Mon Nov 25:39 PMfrom 5:05 PM6:02 PM100%3/10
Tue Nov 35:38 PMfrom 5:04 PM6:01 PM31%9/10

Where to watch the sunset at Cocoa Beach

Cocoa Beach faces east, away from the sunset. The sun goes down behind you, over land, so the view to catch is the afterglow: the band of pink above the dark blue shadow of the earth rising over the water, best from sunset to about 30 minutes after.

Tonight’s timeline for Pier Nights is at the top of this page.

Can’t make it to the beach? Watch the live Pier Cam cam at sunset.

Where the sun sets through the year

The spot where the sun sets moves along the horizon through the year. Around June 21 it goes down furthest north, in the west-north-west (297°); around December 21 it goes down furthest south, in the west-south-west (243°). In June it sets behind the beach. In December it sets behind the beach.

Golden hour and blue hour at Cocoa Beach

Golden hour tonight runs from 6:09 PM to sunset at 6:42 PM. The sun is low, the light is warm and soft, and shadows are long. It is the best time for photos of people on the beach.

Blue hour follows, from about 6:56 PM to 7:15 PM, when the sun is below the horizon and the sky turns deep blue. The first lights come on along the shore and the water holds the last of the color.

Cocoa Beach sunset times by month

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on the 15th of each month. Over the next year the earliest sunset is 5:27 PM (Tue Dec 1) and the latest is 8:25 PM (Thu Jul 1). Times are local and include daylight saving time where it applies.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
October 20267:24 AM6:55 PM11 hr 31 min
November 20266:46 AM5:31 PM10 hr 45 min
December 20267:08 AM5:30 PM10 hr 21 min
January 20277:17 AM5:49 PM10 hr 32 min
February 20277:02 AM6:14 PM11 hr 12 min
March 20277:34 AM7:32 PM11 hr 58 min
April 20276:59 AM7:49 PM12 hr 50 min
May 20276:34 AM8:07 PM13 hr 33 min
June 20276:26 AM8:22 PM13 hr 56 min
July 20276:36 AM8:23 PM13 hr 47 min
August 20276:53 AM8:03 PM13 hr 10 min
September 20277:09 AM7:30 PM12 hr 21 min

Tips for a great sunset at Cocoa Beach

  • Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. The best spots fill up, and the light is often at its best in the last half hour before the sun goes down.
  • Stay 20 minutes after. The clouds often light up brightest after the sun is gone, and most people have already left.
  • Check the Sunset Score. Scattered clouds make the most color. A clear sky gives a clean sunset that fades fast, and a heavy overcast can hide it.
  • Plan your parking. Sunset is a busy time at popular beaches. See Cocoa Beach parking for lots and rates.
  • Look at the water too. Today’s wind, waves and water temperature are on the Cocoa Beach conditions page.
  • Make a night of it. Find places to eat and sunset cruises and things to do at Cocoa Beach.

How we work out the sunset time

The official sunset time is when the top of the sun sinks below a flat sea horizon. We also check Cocoa Beach’s real horizon: the hills, headlands and islands you can see from the sand. When land is in the way, the sun disappears before the official time, and we show you that earlier time. The Sunset Score rates how colorful the sky should be from the cloud forecast at sunset. Buildings are not included, so a tall hotel beside you can still hide the last minute.

Cocoa Beach sunset FAQ

What time is sunset at Cocoa Beach today?

The sun sets at 6:42 PM at Cocoa Beach today (Wednesday, October 28).

What time is sunrise at Cocoa Beach today?

The sun rose at 7:32 AM at Cocoa Beach today.

How many hours of daylight does Cocoa Beach get today?

11 hr 10 min of daylight, from 7:32 AM to 6:42 PM.

When is golden hour at Cocoa Beach tonight?

Golden hour at Cocoa Beach runs from 6:09 PM to sunset at 6:42 PM, when the sun is low and the light turns warm and soft. Blue hour follows, from 6:56 PM to 7:15 PM.

When does it get dark at Cocoa Beach tonight?

The sky stays light enough to see without a flashlight until about 7:05 PM, the end of civil twilight. It is fully dark by about 7:33 PM.

Will the sunset be good at Cocoa Beach tonight?

Tonight's Sunset Score is 9 out of 10, from the cloud forecast at sunset. Scattered clouds (62% cover): the best kind of sky, the clouds light up orange and pink.

Which direction does the sun set at Cocoa Beach?

Cocoa Beach faces east, so the sun sets behind the beach, over land. Tonight it goes down in the west-south-west.

Can you see the sun set over the water at Cocoa Beach?

No. Cocoa Beach faces east, so the sun sets behind you, over land. The show over the water is the afterglow in the half hour after sunset.

What are the earliest and latest sunset times at Cocoa Beach?

Over the next year the earliest sunset at Cocoa Beach is 5:27 PM on Tuesday, December 1, and the latest is 8:25 PM on Thursday, July 1.

Where is the best place to watch the sunset at Cocoa Beach?

Cocoa Beach Pier is the favorite spot at Cocoa Beach. Get there 30 to 45 minutes before sunset for a good place, and stay 20 minutes after for the afterglow.

Is there a live sunset cam at Cocoa Beach?

Yes. The Pier Cam live cam shows Cocoa Beach in real time, linked from this page.

Sunset tonight at beaches near Cocoa Beach

Satellite Beach sunset10 mi6:43 PM
Melbourne Beach sunset18 mi6:43 PM
Vero Beach sunset49 mi6:42 PM
New Smyrna Beach sunset53 mi6:43 PM
Ponce Inlet sunset56 mi6:43 PM
Fort Pierce sunset62 mi6:42 PM

See every beach on one map: sunset times tonight across the US →