Catalina Foothills is a city of about 50,796 people in Pima County, Arizona, at 785 m (2,575 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:32 AM and sets at 5:47 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:13 PM – 6:02 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 | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:01 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:08 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:56 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 03m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Catalina Foothills
At Catalina Foothills 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Catalina Foothills
74 photo locations lie within 80 km of Catalina Foothills. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Canyons
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CanyonCanyonNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Catalina Foothills is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Chiricahua Natural Bridge, about 150 km (93 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chiricahua Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 150 km (93 mi) | 1 |
| Chiricahua National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 151 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Bonita Canyon | Canyon | 151 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Sea Captain | Scenic Viewpoint | 152 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Wood Canyon Waterfall | Waterfall | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Sugarloaf Mountain Lookout | Fire Lookout | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Stream Beds | Scenic Viewpoint | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Chiricahua Mountains Wildernes | Scenic Viewpoint | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:04 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 12:59 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| May | 10:59 PM – 3:49 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:14 PM – 3:34 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:10 PM – 2:10 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 8:38 PM – 12:08 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 7:54 PM – 10:04 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 7:14 PM – 8:04 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.