Beach Guide

Gulf Shores Sunset

Gulf State Park Pier · painted for this minute from Gulf Shores’s own horizon and tonight’s cloud forecast

Mon Nov 2 · — CSTLIVE

The sun is touching the horizon · clear at 8%

The sun goes down at

5:04 PM

T-00:05:00

It sets straight into the water, so the official sunset time is when you will see it go. Look west-south-west. Golden hour starts at 4:30 PM.

Sunset Score · Clear sky (9% cloud): a clean sunset, but the color fades fast. Nothing low on the horizon, so you should see the sun all the way down.

4 PM · 4:59 PM · 9:30 PM

Prefer the real thing? Watch the live Bama Beach Cams cam →

Tonight’s Lineup

artisans & buskers
🐦

Diving Pelicans

at dusk

🎣

Pier Anglers

all evening

🐬

Nearshore Dolphins

before dusk

🎸

Beach Bar Music

most nights

🪁

Kite & Ball Games

all evening

Know Before You Go

Pier

small fee

walk the longest Gulf pier

Best spot

West Beach

open Gulf horizon, fewer crowds

Pelicans

at dusk

diving off the pier and surf

Live cam

Bama Cams

watch the beach and surf

see you at sunset

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

What time is sunset at Gulf Shores tonight?

Tonight, Monday, November 2, the sun sets at 5:04 PM at Gulf Shores. It sets over open water here, so that is when you will see it go. Golden hour starts at 4:30 PM, and the sky stays light until about 5:28 PM. Tonight's Sunset Score is 5 out of 10. Clear sky (9% cloud): a clean sunset, but the color fades fast.

Sunrise today was at 6:07 AM, which gives Gulf Shores 10 hr 57 min of daylight. It is fully dark by about 5:56 PM.

Gulf Shores sunset times this week

The next seven evenings at Gulf Shores: 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
Tonight5:04 PMfrom 4:30 PM5:28 PM9%5/10
Tue Nov 35:04 PMfrom 4:29 PM5:27 PM100%3/10
Wed Nov 45:03 PMfrom 4:28 PM5:27 PM83%6/10
Thu Nov 55:02 PMfrom 4:27 PM5:26 PM9%5/10
Fri Nov 65:01 PMfrom 4:26 PM5:25 PM100%3/10
Sat Nov 75:01 PMfrom 4:26 PM5:24 PM74%6/10
Sun Nov 85:00 PMfrom 4:25 PM5:24 PM28%7/10

Where to watch the sunset at Gulf Shores

Tonight the sun goes down in the west-south-west (253° on a compass). The favorite place to watch is Gulf State Park Pier.

Tonight’s timeline for Gulf Shores Sunset is at the top of this page.

Can’t make it to the beach? Watch the live Bama Beach Cams 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 drops behind land 597 feet away. In December it sets over open water.

Golden hour and blue hour at Gulf Shores

Golden hour tonight runs from 4:30 PM to sunset at 5:04 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 5:18 PM to 5:37 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.

Gulf Shores sunset times by month

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on the 15th of each month. Over the next year the earliest sunset is 4:52 PM (Thu Dec 3) and the latest is 7:58 PM (Wed Jun 30). Times are local and include daylight saving time where it applies.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
November 20266:18 AM4:56 PM10 hr 38 min
December 20266:41 AM4:54 PM10 hr 12 min
January 20276:49 AM5:13 PM10 hr 24 min
February 20276:33 AM5:40 PM11 hr 7 min
March 20277:02 AM7:00 PM11 hr 57 min
April 20276:25 AM7:19 PM12 hr 54 min
May 20275:59 AM7:39 PM13 hr 40 min
June 20275:50 AM7:55 PM14 hr 5 min
July 20276:00 AM7:55 PM13 hr 55 min
August 20276:19 AM7:34 PM13 hr 15 min
September 20276:36 AM6:59 PM12 hr 22 min
October 20276:54 AM6:22 PM11 hr 28 min

Tips for a great sunset at Gulf Shores

  • 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 Gulf Shores parking for lots and rates.
  • Look at the water too. Today’s wind, waves and water temperature are on the Gulf Shores conditions page.
  • Make a night of it. Find places to eat and sunset cruises and things to do at Gulf Shores.

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 Gulf Shores’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.

Gulf Shores sunset FAQ

What time is sunset at Gulf Shores today?

The sun sets at 5:04 PM at Gulf Shores today (Monday, November 2).

What time is sunrise at Gulf Shores today?

The sun rose at 6:07 AM at Gulf Shores today.

How many hours of daylight does Gulf Shores get today?

10 hr 57 min of daylight, from 6:07 AM to 5:04 PM.

When is golden hour at Gulf Shores tonight?

Golden hour at Gulf Shores runs from 4:30 PM to sunset at 5:04 PM, when the sun is low and the light turns warm and soft. Blue hour follows, from 5:18 PM to 5:37 PM.

When does it get dark at Gulf Shores tonight?

The sky stays light enough to see without a flashlight until about 5:28 PM, the end of civil twilight. It is fully dark by about 5:56 PM.

Will the sunset be good at Gulf Shores tonight?

Tonight's Sunset Score is 5 out of 10, from the cloud forecast at sunset. Clear sky (9% cloud): a clean sunset, but the color fades fast.

Which direction does the sun set at Gulf Shores?

Tonight the sun sets in the west-south-west, at 253° on a compass. Through the year it moves between the west-north-west in June and the west-south-west in December.

Can you see the sun set over the water at Gulf Shores?

Yes. Tonight the sun sets over open water, to the west-south-west.

What are the earliest and latest sunset times at Gulf Shores?

Over the next year the earliest sunset at Gulf Shores is 4:52 PM on Thursday, December 3, and the latest is 7:58 PM on Wednesday, June 30.

Where is the best place to watch the sunset at Gulf Shores?

Gulf State Park Pier is the favorite spot at Gulf Shores. 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 Gulf Shores?

Yes. The Bama Beach Cams live cam shows Gulf Shores in real time, linked from this page.

Sunset tonight at beaches near Gulf Shores

Orange Beach sunset8 mi5:04 PM
Perdido Key sunset16 mi5:03 PM
Dauphin Island sunset23 mi5:06 PM
Pensacola Beach sunset33 mi5:02 PM
Fort Walton Beach sunset65 mi5:00 PM
Biloxi sunset72 mi5:09 PM

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