Gadsden is a city of about 36,084 people in Etowah County, Alabama, at 167 m (548 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:54 AM and sets at 6:05 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:31 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 | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Gadsden
At Gadsden 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Gadsden
91 photo locations lie within 80 km of Gadsden. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Covered Bridges
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeCovered BridgeNatural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Gadsden is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Swindell Falls, about 30 km (19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swindell Falls | Waterfall | 30 km (19 mi) | 3 |
| Griffin Falls | Waterfall | 31 km (19 mi) | 3 |
| Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 41 km (26 mi) | 3 |
| Daniel's Gap Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 42 km (26 mi) | 3 |
| High Falls Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 43 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| High Falls | Waterfall | 43 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| Weaver Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 48 km (30 mi) | 3 |
| Eberhardt Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 48 km (30 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:36 PM – 3:56 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:14 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:17 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.