Florence is a city of about 40,026 people in Lauderdale County, Alabama, at 167 m (548 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:01 AM and sets at 6:11 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 PM – 6:27 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 50m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Florence
At Florence the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Florence
33 photo locations lie within 80 km of Florence. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Covered Bridges
Natural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Florence is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Wheeler Lake, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler Lake | Lake | 27 km (17 mi) | 3 |
| Joe Wheeler State Park | State Park | 30 km (19 mi) | 3 |
| The Fall Off | Waterfall | 31 km (19 mi) | 3 |
| Highpoint Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 37 km (23 mi) | 3 |
| Cave Spring, Milepost 308.4 | Cave | 46 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 46 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Rainbow Falls | Waterfall | 49 km (30 mi) | 3 |
| Woodall Mountain | Mountain Peak | 52 km (32 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.