SOLAR ECLIPSE · WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2026
August 12, 2026 solar eclipse: what every U.S. city will actually see
The August 12, 2026 solar eclipse reaches totality only across Greenland, Iceland, and northern Spain; there is no totality anywhere in North America. From the United States it is a partial eclipse at best: 16 of the 60 largest cities see a visible bite, topping out at 27.9% coverage in Anchorage. City-by-city times and coverage are computed below.
To stand in the Moon's full shadow you would need to be in Greenland, Iceland, or northern Spain that afternoon. Nowhere in the United States, Canada, or Mexico gets totality — what the northern U.S. gets is a modest partial eclipse, and the map below shows exactly how much, city by city.
EYE SAFETY — READ BEFORE YOU LOOK
A partial eclipse is never safe to look at unprotected
- Never look at the partially eclipsed Sun with bare eyes.Sunglasses are not protection — not even several pairs stacked, no matter how dark.
- Use ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer, checked for scratches or damage before every use.
- Never point a camera, telescope, or binoculars at the Sun while wearing eclipse glasses — concentrated sunlight destroys the filter and your eyes. Optics need their own solar filter mounted on the front of the instrument.
- No glasses? Pinhole projection is the safe indirect method: cross your fingers into a waffle and watch the crescent Suns on the ground — even the gaps between tree leaves act as natural pinholes.
HOW MUCH OF THE SUN IS COVERED, BY CITY
16 of 60 metros see any eclipse at all. Peak times are local to each city.
| CITY | SUN COVERED | MAX ECLIPSE | VERDICT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | 27.9% | 8:21 AM | Clearly visible |
| Boston, MA | 15.9% | 1:54 PM | Clearly visible |
| New York, NY | 9.4% | 1:53 PM | Barely visible |
| Buffalo, NY | 7.4% | 1:42 PM | Barely visible |
| Philadelphia, PA | 6.9% | 1:53 PM | Barely visible |
| Baltimore, MD | 4.5% | 1:52 PM | Barely visible |
| Washington, DC | 3.6% | 1:52 PM | Barely visible |
| Cleveland, OH | 2.9% | 1:39 PM | Barely visible |
| Detroit, MI | 2.9% | 1:35 PM | Barely visible |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2.9% | 1:44 PM | Barely visible |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 2.2% | 1:58 PM | Barely visible |
| Richmond, VA | 1.8% | 1:54 PM | Barely visible |
| Milwaukee, WI | 0.8% | 12:25 PM | Barely visible |
| Columbus, OH | 0.5% | 1:40 PM | Barely visible |
| Minneapolis, MN | 0.5% | 12:13 PM | Barely visible |
| Chicago, IL | 0.1% | 12:28 PM | Barely visible |
| Albuquerque, NM | — | — | Not visible |
| Atlanta, GA | — | — | Not visible |
| Austin, TX | — | — | Not visible |
| Bakersfield, CA | — | — | Not visible |
| Boise, ID | — | — | Not visible |
| Charlotte, NC | — | — | Not visible |
| Cincinnati, OH | — | — | Not visible |
| Colorado Springs, CO | — | — | Not visible |
| Dallas, TX | — | — | Not visible |
| Denver, CO | — | — | Not visible |
| Des Moines, IA | — | — | Not visible |
| El Paso, TX | — | — | Not visible |
| Fort Worth, TX | — | — | Not visible |
| Fresno, CA | — | — | Not visible |
| Honolulu, HI | — | — | Not visible |
| Houston, TX | — | — | Not visible |
| Indianapolis, IN | — | — | Not visible |
| Jacksonville, FL | — | — | Not visible |
| Kansas City, MO | — | — | Not visible |
| Las Vegas, NV | — | — | Not visible |
| Los Angeles, CA | — | — | Not visible |
| Louisville, KY | — | — | Not visible |
| Memphis, TN | — | — | Not visible |
| Miami, FL | — | — | Not visible |
| Nashville, TN | — | — | Not visible |
| New Orleans, LA | — | — | Not visible |
| Oklahoma City, OK | — | — | Not visible |
| Omaha, NE | — | — | Not visible |
| Orlando, FL | — | — | Not visible |
| Phoenix, AZ | — | — | Not visible |
| Portland, OR | — | — | Not visible |
| Raleigh, NC | — | — | Not visible |
| Reno, NV | — | — | Not visible |
| Sacramento, CA | — | — | Not visible |
| San Antonio, TX | — | — | Not visible |
| San Diego, CA | — | — | Not visible |
| San Francisco, CA | — | — | Not visible |
| San Jose, CA | — | — | Not visible |
| Seattle, WA | — | — | Not visible |
| St. Louis, MO | — | — | Not visible |
| Tampa, FL | — | — | Not visible |
| Tucson, AZ | — | — | Not visible |
| Tulsa, OK | — | — | Not visible |
| Wichita, KS | — | — | Not visible |