Tuscaloosa is a city of about 111,338 people in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, at 68 m (223 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:59 AM and sets at 6:12 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:28 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 | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Tuscaloosa
At Tuscaloosa 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 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Tuscaloosa
39 photo locations lie within 80 km of Tuscaloosa. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Tuscaloosa is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Binnsville, about 83 km (51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binnsville | Ghost Town | 83 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Noxubee Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 102 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Porterville Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Rumley Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 106 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Prairie Bluff | Ghost Town | 121 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Bridgeport Beach | Beach | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Nanih Waiya | State Park | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Butler Mountain Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 147 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.7 | 17° |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:39 PM – 4:09 AM | 4.5 | 28° |
| June | 9:44 PM – 3:54 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:07 PM – 12:27 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:30 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.