This Map Reveals the Sunniest (and Least Sunny) Cities in the World

Though there's certainly something charming about living somewhere with distinct seasons and a wide variety of weather, let's be honest: there's nothing better than a long stretch of sunny days...

Phoenix, Arizona | Shutterstock
Phoenix, Arizona | Shutterstock

While there's certainly something charming about living somewhere with distinct seasons and a wide variety of weather, let's be honest: there's nothing better than a long stretch of sunny days. And much like some people are luckier than than others, certain cities enjoy significantly more sunny days every year than everywhere else. So, if you've ever considered relocating to a place specifically because it's swimming in sunshine, you'll want to take a look at a new map that reveals the sunniest (and least) sunny cities on the planet

For those of us ready to swap rainy seasons and cloudy days for the promise of perpetual sun, the team at sleep industry-focused site Sleepopolis did some crack research to figure out which locales around the world are treated to the most vitamin D during the year. While they were at it, they also looked into which cities see the least, should you be interested in making a list of "places to definitely not move to."

To do it, they looked at the statistics regarding "annual sunshine hours" of global cities, then ranked those with the most and least accordingly. Then, they did a global ranking in the form of an infographic, ranked the top five sunniest cities on each continent, and even plotted the places at the top and bottom on a map to give you a better sense of how geography plays into everything.

So, what is the sunniest city on Earth, on average? It's Yuma, Arizona, which joins four other US cities in the top 10. Meanwhile, Totoró, Colombia earns the distinction as the least sunny city in the world (for what it's worth, no American cities are in the bottom 10). Here's the full ranking of the most and least sunny cities in the world, according to annual sunshine hour averages.

Most sunny cities in the world

10. El Paso, Texas
9. Khargo, Egypt
8. Tuscon, Arizona
7. Las Vegas, Nevada
6. Keetmanshoop, Namibia
5. Phoenix, Arizona
4. Dakhla Oasis, Egypt
3. Calama, Chile
2. Marsa Elam, Egypt
1. Yuma, Arizona

Least sunny cities in the world

10. Bogotá, Colombia
9. Reykjavik, Iceland
8. Ushuaia, Argentina
7. Lima, Peru
6. Buenaventura, Colombia
5. Malabo, Equatorial Guinea
4. Dikson, Russia
3. Chongqing, China
2. Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
1. Totoró, Colombia

Click to enlarge | Sleepopolis

It's worth noting that a trip to any place on this list is by no means a guarantee you'll experience sunny or cloudy weather, but rather an indication of yearly average of sunshine. As you'll notice, places you might typically associate with wonderful tropical weather aren't always the sunniest, since they may witness more dynamic weather patterns (this is particularly true in places with dynamic topographies). You should consider that select locations at high latitudes on either side of the equator are characterized by having extended stretches of very little sunlight (and vice versa), which may affect their position in the rankings.

If you need us, we'll be browsing Zillow for starter homes in Phoenix. 

h/tDigg

Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email and subscribe here for our YouTube channel to get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.

Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him @jwmcgauley.