Madison is a city of about 46,962 people in Madison County, Alabama, at 215 m (705 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:57 AM and sets at 6:07 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:33 PM – 6:23 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 | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:22 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:08 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 51m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Madison
At Madison 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 Madison
49 photo locations lie within 80 km of Madison. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
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Covered BridgeCovered BridgeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Madison is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Welcome Falls, about 43 km (27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome Falls | Waterfall | 43 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| Seven Falls | Waterfall | 46 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Cycleway | Scenic Viewpoint | 49 km (30 mi) | 3 |
| Cathedral Caverns State Park | Cave | 50 km (31 mi) | 3 |
| Piney Branch Falls | Waterfall | 51 km (32 mi) | 3 |
| Joe Wheeler State Park | State Park | 57 km (35 mi) | 3 |
| Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 59 km (37 mi) | 3 |
| Wheeler Lake | Lake | 59 km (37 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:39 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:38 AM – 4:38 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:02 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:14 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:21 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:18 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.