Anchorage is a city of about 289,600 people in Anchorage Municipality, Alaska. Today the sun rises at 8:56 AM and sets at 6:34 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:30 PM – 7:02 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 | 9:58 AM | 11:46 AM | 2:33 PM | 4:22 PM | 5:18 PM | 6h 24m |
| February | 8:43 AM | 9:51 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:32 PM | 9h 04m |
| March | 8:17 AM | 9:15 AM | 7:04 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:44 PM | 11h 44m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:21 PM | 10:10 PM | 14h 42m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 6:24 AM | 9:30 PM | 10:41 PM | 11:51 PM | 17h 28m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:48 AM | 10:14 PM | 11:40 PM | — | 19h 19m |
| July | 4:52 AM | 6:11 AM | 10:02 PM | 11:20 PM | 12:53 AM | 18h 28m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 7:12 AM | 8:58 PM | 10:01 PM | 10:55 PM | 15h 52m |
| September | 7:27 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:24 PM | 9:08 PM | 12h 57m |
| October | 8:43 AM | 9:45 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:33 PM | 10h 07m |
| November | 9:07 AM | 10:34 AM | 2:57 PM | 4:24 PM | 5:15 PM | 7h 17m |
| December | 10:10 AM | — | — | 3:41 PM | 4:43 PM | 5h 31m |
Local time in America/Anchorage, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Anchorage
At Anchorage the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 32° (NNE) at the June solstice and 143° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 329° (NNW) in June to 217° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 52° in summer but only 5° in winter.
Best photo spots near Anchorage
70 photo locations lie within 80 km of Anchorage. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Anchorage is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kenai Lake, about 90 km (56 mi) away (Bortle 1). Northern lights need roughly Kp 0.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenai Lake | Lake | 90 km (56 mi) | 1 |
| Chugach National Forest | National Forest | 94 km (58 mi) | 1 |
| Vassar Glacier | Glacier | 109 km (68 mi) | 1 |
| Culross Island Light | Lighthouse | 110 km (68 mi) | 1 |
| Smith Glacier | Glacier | 114 km (71 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Marcus Baker | Mountain Peak | 117 km (73 mi) | 1 |
| Exit Glacier | Glacier | 117 km (73 mi) | 1 |
| Perry Island Light | Lighthouse | 123 km (77 mi) | 1 |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 63% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (83%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.