If you've ever done any traveling, you already know that sunrise and sunset can vary wildly by location*
This article does a pretty good job of explaining why that is and why for many people they've already experienced the earliest sunset of the year. The sub-head and story lede are a bit of misdirection in the hopes of getting people to read on.
The earliest sunset or latest sunrise rarely actually correspond to the the shortest day of the year and depending on your location they rarely happen on the same day.?
The Astronomical Hijinks of the Shortest Day of the Year
The solstice isn’t for more than a week, but the earliest sunset of the year is already upon us. How’s that possible?