Dothan is a city of about 68,567 people in Houston County, Alabama, at 98 m (322 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:48 AM and sets at 6:06 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:33 PM – 6:21 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 20m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:54 PM | 11h 06m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 44m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 14h 10m |
| July | 5:48 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 59m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 6:27 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:45 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 35m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 08m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Dothan
At Dothan the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Dothan
13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Dothan. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Dothan is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is West Bank Overlook, about 52 km (32 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Bank Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 52 km (32 mi) | 2 |
| View point | Scenic Viewpoint | 56 km (35 mi) | 2 |
| George T. Bagby State Park | State Park | 58 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Vortex Spring | Cave | 73 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Ponce de Leon Springs State Park | State Park | 77 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 83 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Torreya State Park | State Park | 84 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| Weeping Seep | Scenic Viewpoint | 84 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:11 AM – 5:01 AM | 0.8 | 19° |
| March | 3:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 1:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 11:14 PM – 4:14 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| June | 9:27 PM – 3:57 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 9:24 PM – 2:34 AM | 5.2 | 30° |
| August | 8:54 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| September | 8:11 PM – 10:21 PM | 2.2 | 27° |
| October | 7:32 PM – 8:32 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.