Clearwater Sunsets

Sunset Clearwater Beach photography

As a Clearwater Photographer, we meet lots of families visiting Clearwater on vacation. Clearwater’s white sand beaches and stunning gulf coast sunsets are a huge draw for families looking to unwind.

Sunset Clearwater Beach photography is a great way for families to capture all that beautiful scenery while also updating their family portraits – double win!

What time does the sun set in Clearwater, FL?

The sun sets between 6pm-8:30pm in Clearwater depending on the season. In the summer, the sun sets around 8:30PM and then in winter it sets around 6PM in Clearwater. Check your weather app to see the exact time of the sunset in Clearwater each day.

Infographic depicting approximate sunset times in Clearwater by season

When we schedule sunset photography sessions

Sunset sessions will vary by season, we typically aim for about 1 hour before sunset. In the summer, we schedule sunset photography sessions around 7:15PM. While in the winter sunset photography sessions can be as early as 5pm.

If you are only wanting to capture the sunset itself, then in the summer, Clearwater sunsets are normally between 8:15PM-8:30PM. And in the winter Clearwater sunsets will occur between 6PM-6:30PM.

We usually like to check the forecast to see what time the sun is expected to set and then take into account how much time we’ll need before it gets too dark. For example, if we are scheduling a sunset session for a large extended family with lots of young children – we may give ourselves a 15 minute buffer to ensure we don’t run out of time.

Where to watch sunset in Clearwater

The best places to watch the sunset in Clearwater are:

• Pier 60
• Sand Key Park
• Fort Desoto Park
• Honeymoon Island State Park

Anywhere on Clearwater Beach will provide a phenomenal view of the setting sun. The flat Florida horizon makes it easy to watch the sun melt into the gulf. The sun sets on the west which explains why Florida gulf coast sunsets are world famous. St. Pete Beach is known as the sunset capital of Florida.