As much as residents in the United States complain about cities like Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon , neither of those rainy cities happen to be least sunny places on the planet. In fact, the least sunny spots in the world aren't in the US at all. The cities that get the least sun can be found in countries all over the planet, but two of them are in China.
Here are the cities with the least amount of sunshine from around the world, all clocking in at under 1,300 hours per year.
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9 Prince Rupert, Canada
Prince Rupert, Canada gets 1,242.1 hours of sunshine per year
Cow Bay Marina. Prince Rupert, Canada
Canada is well known for having variable weather, but also for its gorgeous sights. With the most lakes in the world, Canada holds some positive records. Yet Prince Rupert, Canada appears to be the least sunny place in the entire country -- Calgary comes in second.
Sunniest month of the year: May Darkest month of the year: December Average hours of sunshine per day: 3.4
8 Lima, Peru
Lima, Peru gets 1,230 hours of sunshine per year
The coastal Miraflores neighborhood of Lima, Peru
Peru is one of the biggest countries in South America, and it's a travel hot spot for people from all over the world. Yet Lima, the capital, receives the least amount of sunlight of any other city in the country. Given that Lima lies on the coast of Peru, it makes sense that there would be many cloudy and foggy days. Clearly, the weather patterns haven't disrupted tourism!
Sunniest month of the year: April Darkest month of the year: July Average hours of sunshine per day: 3.67
7 Bergen, Norway
Bergen, Norway gets 1,187 hours of sunshine per year
Sunset in Bergen, Norway
Norway is not a surprising place to find one of the least sunny cities in the world, and Bergen is tops -- or, rather, bottom. The sunniest month is June, when temperatures get as high as about 62 degrees Fahrenheit. December, conversely, is the darkest time, with only about 12 hours of sunlight per month.
Sunniest month of the year: June Darkest month of the year: December Average hours of sunshine per day: 3.25
6 Dikson, Russia
Dikson, Russia gets 1,164.3 hours of sunshine per year
Satellite image of Dikon Island, Russia
Russia is known for having the coldest city in the world, so it's not surprising that the country is also home to one of the places with the least number of sunny hours. April happens to be the sunniest time, while November through January have as low as zero hours of sunlight.
Sunniest month of the year: April Darkest month of the year: November through January Average hours of sunshine per day: 3.19
Dikson is one of the northernmost settlements in the world.
5 Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea gets 1,176.7 hours of sunshine per year
Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea, in Central Africa, lies along the coast, which might explain why it's so overcast a lot of the time. In an interesting twist, Malabo receives the most sun in January, while July is the darkest time. That doesn't mean the city (or the country itself) isn't worth visiting, but you'll need to plan well to enjoy your time in Malabo.
Sunniest month of the year: January Darkest month of the year: July Average hours of sunshine per day: 3.22
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4 Chengdu, China
Chengdu, China gets 1,073.3 hours of sunshine per year
View out a window in Chengdu China
Chengdu, China is known for being home to giant pandas, but it's also a historically significant place in the country. You can visit here to see the panda research center, but you might not get many hours of sunlight to enjoy it in. The best time to visit might be August, when there are about 155 hours of sunlight.
Sunniest month of the year: August Darkest month of the year: January Average hours of sunshine per day: 2.94
Take caution: Some flight routes to Chengdu, China are very turbulent due to the weather patterns and geography in the area.
3 Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Tórshavn, Faroe Islands gets 1,002.1 hours of sunshine per year
Sunset over Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are way less crowded than other winter destinations, and there's one likely explanation: there are hardly any hours of sunlight in December. Tórshavn, specifically, only receives around 22.7 hours of sunlight for the entire month of December. The best time to visit for sunnier days might be in May, when there's an average of around 5 hours of sunlight per day.
Sunniest month of the year: May Darkest month of the year: December Average hours of sunshine per day: 2.75
2 Chongqing, China
Chongqing, China gets 983.2 hours of sunshine per year
Chongqing city, China, skyline night scene view
Like Chengdu, Chongqing has very few hours of sunshine per year on average. The sunniest time to visit is in August, when Chongqing receives around 175.2 hours of sunlight, while January has fewer than 17 hours for the entire month. Still, Chongqing is a popular place to visit for its natural scenery and plenty of history and culture -- even if the sun barely shines during your visit!
Sunniest month of the year: August Darkest month of the year: January Average hours of sunshine per day: 2.69
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1 Totoró, Colombia
Totoró, Colombia gets 637 hours of sunshine per year
People in Popayán, Colombia, the nearest big city to Totoró
Numerous sources state that Totoró, Colombia has as few as 637 hours of sunshine per year. It's not clear where this data comes from, but even Wikipedia notes that Totoró is the "cloudiest and least sunny town in the world."
Sunniest month of the year: January Darkest month of the year: October Average hours of sunshine per day: 1.75
Depending on who you ask, the city might not be as cloudy as indicated; AccuWeather claims that in September, there are about 12 hours of sunlight per day in Totoró.
References: Hong Kong Observatory, Thorshavn records 1991-2020, Environment Canada, AccuWeather