Fairbanks is a city of about 32,325 people in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, at 136 m (446 ft). Today the sun rises at 9:00 AM and sets at 6:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 4:57 PM – 6:44 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 | 10:27 AM | — | — | 3:35 PM | 4:46 PM | 5h 07m |
| February | 8:50 AM | 10:13 AM | 3:59 PM | 5:21 PM | 6:14 PM | 8h 31m |
| March | 8:10 AM | 9:16 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:40 PM | 11h 41m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:25 PM | 15h 11m |
| May | 4:28 AM | 5:56 AM | 9:40 PM | 11:08 PM | 1:16 AM | 18h 40m |
| June | 3:01 AM | 5:10 AM | 10:34 PM | 12:43 AM | — | 21h 42m |
| July | 3:53 AM | 5:37 AM | 10:17 PM | 12:01 AM | — | 20h 08m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:52 AM | 9:00 PM | 10:14 PM | 11:22 PM | 16h 35m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:15 PM | 8:20 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 06m |
| October | 8:44 AM | 9:57 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:20 PM | 9h 46m |
| November | 9:27 AM | 11:44 AM | 1:29 PM | 3:46 PM | 4:48 PM | 6h 18m |
| December | 10:53 AM | — | — | 2:41 PM | 4:05 PM | 3h 48m |
Local time in America/Anchorage, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Fairbanks
At Fairbanks the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 15° (NNE) at the June solstice and 155° (SSE) in late December. Sunset moves from 345° (NNW) in June to 205° (SSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 49° in summer but only 2° in winter.
Best photo spots near Fairbanks
12 photo locations lie within 80 km of Fairbanks. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointState Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Hot Springs
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Fairbanks is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Harding Lake, about 62 km (38 mi) away (Bortle 1). Northern lights need roughly Kp 0.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harding Lake | Lake | 62 km (38 mi) | 1 |
| Chena River State Recreation Area | State Park | 66 km (41 mi) | 1 |
| U.S. Creek Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 71 km (44 mi) | 1 |
| Tolovana Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 72 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Lower Tub (Miso Cup) | Hot Spring | 72 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Middle Tub (Bento Box) | Hot Spring | 72 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Upper Tub (Udon Bowl) | Hot Spring | 72 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 74 km (46 mi) | 1 |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (77%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.