The summer solstice occurs when the Earth’s tilt toward the sun is at a maximum. When this occurs, the sun appears at its highest elevation, or when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.5 degrees latitude north. The sun’s noon-time position changes very little for several days before and after the solstice. With this positioning of the sun, people enjoy the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours.

In 2025, the summer solstice occurs on June 20 at 1:41 p.m. EDT. Those in the southern hemisphere will have to wait until December 21 at 4:21 a.m. EST for their summer solstice.

• Per each hemisphere, solstices occur twice a year: the winter and the summer solstice.

• The summer solstice marks the official start of astronomical summer.

• The world “solstice” is derived from Latin and means “sun standing still.”

• Solstices do not land on the same calendar day every year because the astronomical year is 365.25 days long. So the solstices shift a day or two each year, but generally fall within the same three days. In the northern hemisphere, those days are June 20, 21 or 22 for the summer solstice.

• Although the summer solstice is the longest day of the year in terms of daylight hours, typically it is not the hottest. It will take some time for the Earth to heat up with a greater tilt toward the sun. Hotter days arrive at the end of July and last into August.