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3,121 places · sun position · panel angle

Solar data for the United States

Across the 3,121 places in the United States the best fixed tilt for solar panels runs from 18° in Honolulu to 53° in Fairbanks, and flat ground gets 2.4 to 6.0 peak sun hours a day. Every number is computed for each place.

Solar power in the United States at a glance

Averages over 3,121 places with climate data, for a fixed array facing south.

Best panel angle33°average, facing south
Peak sun hours4.40a day on flat ground
1 kWp makes1,515kWh a year at the best angle
Off-grid angle58°average, for the darkest month
New York CityFortuna Foothills (most sun)
  • 2.38–3.10
  • 3.10–3.81
  • 3.81–4.53
  • 4.53–5.24
  • 5.24–5.96

Peak sun hours a day on flat ground. Each dot is one place (the 900 largest). 3 far-off places lie outside the frame.

The sunniest places in the United States, with 5.96 peak sun hours a day on flat ground, are Fortuna Foothills and 2 other places; the least sunny is Juneau with 2.38. A 1 kWp array at its best angle makes from 948 kWh a year in Juneau to 1,989 kWh in Barstow — 1,515 kWh on average.

The best year-round tilt runs from 18° in Honolulu to 53° in Fairbanks. Off-grid systems are sized for the darkest month and do better steeper, at 58° on average: at 70° that month brings 0.18 kWh per kWp a day in Fairbanks and 3.55 kWh in Casper.

Size an off-grid system or open any place below for its sun path, monthly table and tilt curve.

Sunniest places in the United States

Ranked by peak sun hours on flat ground: the yearly average of a day's sunshine energy (NASA POWER climatology). Output: 1 kWp at its best year-round angle.

RankPlaceRegionSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tilt
1Fortuna FoothillsArizona5.961,97031°
1SomertonArizona5.961,96730°
1San LuisArizona5.961,96630°
4YumaArizona5.951,96731°
5BrawleyCalifornia5.931,96131°
5El CentroCalifornia5.931,95830°
5CalexicoCalifornia5.931,95630°
8ImperialCalifornia5.931,95931°
9BlytheCalifornia5.901,96331°
10NogalesArizona5.891,98030°

Least sunny places in the United States

RankPlaceRegionSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tilt
3117FairbanksAlaska2.561,13353°
3117BadgerAlaska2.561,13053°
3119AnchorageAlaska2.531,02048°
3120Eagle RiverAlaska2.521,01048°
3121JuneauAlaska2.3894846°

Solar by region in the United States

Averages of the places in each region, sunniest first. Darkest month: what 1 kWp of off-grid panels at 70° makes a day in the worst month of the year.

RegionPlacesSun hours/daykWh per kWp a yearBest tiltDarkest month at 70°Sunniest place
Arizona495.831,95631°2.76 kWhFortuna Foothills
Hawaii375.771,75919°1.78 kWhMakakilo / Kapolei / Honokai Hale
New Mexico155.601,94532°2.88 kWhSunland Park
Nevada205.481,91233°3.23 kWhPahrump
California3965.341,82831°3.00 kWhBrawley
Florida2454.971,57926°2.15 kWhKey West
Utah494.841,72735°3.33 kWhSaint George
Texas1874.831,57628°2.44 kWhSocorro Mission Number 1 Colonia
Colorado434.811,76637°3.19 kWhDurango
Louisiana304.671,51528°2.34 kWhBayou Cane
Oklahoma334.671,59632°2.78 kWhAltus
Mississippi294.621,52529°2.52 kWhPascagoula
South Carolina344.611,55031°2.61 kWhHilton Head Island
Alabama434.571,52130°2.53 kWhFoley
Georgia764.551,52730°2.55 kWhTifton
Wyoming64.521,66538°3.37 kWhRock Springs
Kansas254.481,58035°2.97 kWhLiberal
North Carolina634.441,52333°2.71 kWhLeland
Arkansas264.441,50231°2.73 kWhTexarkana
Idaho164.341,56136°2.44 kWhTwin Falls
Nebraska124.311,55937°3.13 kWhNorth Platte
Tennessee434.311,46331°2.74 kWhMemphis
Missouri544.221,46834°2.90 kWhJoplin
Virginia844.171,45034°2.83 kWhSouth Suffolk
South Dakota64.131,54140°3.15 kWhRapid City
District of Columbia204.111,43434°2.87 kWhCapitol Riverfront
Kentucky364.101,40132°2.63 kWhMurray
Maryland1024.091,42734°2.87 kWhSalisbury
Delaware54.051,41934°2.85 kWhDover
Iowa304.051,46037°2.98 kWhCouncil Bluffs
Montana73.991,48839°2.51 kWhButte
Rhode Island233.941,41336°2.63 kWhSouth Kingstown
North Dakota93.941,51242°2.72 kWhDickinson
Indiana613.941,36834°2.41 kWhEvansville
Oregon453.941,39635°1.93 kWhAltamont
New Jersey1263.931,38935°2.65 kWhMillville
Connecticut653.901,38836°2.56 kWhLedyard
Illinois1673.891,37635°2.56 kWhCarbondale
West Virginia113.881,33332°2.31 kWhBeckley
New York1493.851,35435°2.31 kWhSeaford
Pennsylvania543.841,33934°2.37 kWhChester
Massachusetts1283.841,39037°2.65 kWhFall River
Minnesota733.841,43340°2.60 kWhAlbert Lea
Ohio1273.791,30333°2.03 kWhCincinnati
Wisconsin553.791,37837°2.45 kWhBeloit
Michigan783.771,31934°1.96 kWhAdrian
New Hampshire143.761,37938°2.68 kWhNashua
Maine143.731,38239°2.60 kWhSaco
Washington923.591,29336°1.68 kWhPasco
Vermont43.551,28537°2.04 kWhRutland
Alaska52.511,04850°0.45 kWhFairbanks

Largest places in the United States at a glance

PlaceLatitudeBest tiltOff-grid tiltSun hours/day (flat)
New York City40.7° N35°64°3.94
Los Angeles34.1° N31°48°5.44
Brooklyn40.7° N35°64°3.95
Chicago41.9° N35°67°3.80
Queens40.7° N34°63°3.96
Houston29.8° N26°51°4.66
Phoenix33.4° N31°42°5.83
Philadelphia40.0° N35°63°3.98
San Antonio29.4° N26°45°4.84
Manhattan40.8° N35°64°3.93
San Diego32.7° N30°44°5.29
The Bronx40.8° N35°64°3.93
Dallas32.8° N30°47°4.73
Jacksonville30.3° N27°45°4.79
Fort Worth32.7° N30°46°4.81
San Jose37.3° N32°63°5.07
Austin30.3° N27°46°4.83
Columbus40.0° N33°65°3.93
Charlotte35.2° N32°53°4.49
Indianapolis39.8° N33°65°3.99

Daylight and clock time in the United States

In Fairbanks (64.8° N), the northernmost place, the longest day of the year lasts 21 h 50 min and the shortest 3 h 41 min; in Hilo (19.7° N), the southernmost, 13 h 19 min and 10 h 56 min. Some parts of the United States change the clocks and some do not; the table shows each time zone.

Time zonePlacesUTC offsetClocks change in 2026
America/New_York1,363UTC−5, in summer UTC−4Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Chicago840UTC−6, in summer UTC−5Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Los_Angeles558UTC−8, in summer UTC−7Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Denver126UTC−7, in summer UTC−6Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Detroit78UTC−5, in summer UTC−4Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Phoenix49UTC−7no daylight saving time
America/Indiana/Indianapolis40UTC−5, in summer UTC−4Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
Pacific/Honolulu37UTC−10no daylight saving time
America/Kentucky/Louisville12UTC−5, in summer UTC−4Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Boise11UTC−7, in summer UTC−6Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Anchorage4UTC−9, in summer UTC−8Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
America/Indiana/Vincennes1UTC−5, in summer UTC−4Forward on Sun 8 Mar, back on Sun 1 Nov
2 more time zones with fewer places

Questions about solar in the United States

What is the best angle for solar panels in the United States?
Facing south, between 18° and 53° depending on the place — 33° on average over 3,121 places. Off-grid systems that must get through the darkest month do better steeper, at about 58° on average.
How many peak sun hours does the United States get?
From 2.4 hours a day in Juneau to 6.0 in Fortuna Foothills on flat ground, averaged over the year; 4.4 on average.
How much electricity does 1 kWp of solar panels produce in the United States?
About 1,515 kWh a year at the best fixed angle on average, from 948 kWh in Juneau to 1,989 kWh in Barstow. These are long-term climate averages; a single year can be several per cent higher or lower.
Where is the sunniest place in the United States?
Fortuna Foothills (Arizona) and 2 other places share the most sun of the 3,121 places: 5.96 peak sun hours a day on flat ground. 1 kWp in Fortuna Foothills makes about 1,970 kWh a year.
Does the United States use daylight saving time?
Some parts of the United States change the clocks and some do not; the table shows each time zone.
How long is the longest day in the United States?
21 h 50 min in Fairbanks; the shortest day lasts 3 h 41 min in Fairbanks.

All places in the United States

California

Florida

Illinois

Texas