Flagstaff is a city of about 70,320 people in Coconino County, Arizona, at 2,104 m (6,903 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:38 AM and sets at 5:46 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:12 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 | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Flagstaff
At Flagstaff the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Flagstaff
90 photo locations lie within 80 km of Flagstaff. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Flagstaff is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Red Butte, about 80 km (50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Butte | Mountain Peak | 80 km (50 mi) | 1 |
| Red Butte Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 80 km (50 mi) | 1 |
| Sycamore Canyon | Canyon | 83 km (52 mi) | 1 |
| Navajo Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 95 km (59 mi) | 1 |
| Desert View Watchtower | Scenic Viewpoint | 95 km (59 mi) | 1 |
| Escalante Butte | Rock Formation | 96 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Horseshoe Mesa | Rock Formation | 96 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Newberry Butte | Rock Formation | 100 km (62 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:19 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:24 PM – 3:34 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 9:31 PM – 3:21 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 9:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 8:50 PM – 11:50 PM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:01 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:18 PM – 7:58 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.