Maricopa is a city of about 48,602 people in Pinal County, Arizona, at 358 m (1,175 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:37 AM and sets at 5:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:17 PM – 6:06 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 | 7:32 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Maricopa
At Maricopa 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 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Maricopa
42 photo locations lie within 80 km of Maricopa. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Maricopa is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Ajo Window, about 129 km (80 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajo Window | Natural Arch | 129 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Aguila Arch | Natural Arch | 129 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Bull Pasture Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 131 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Slit Rock | Natural Arch | 147 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| New Hope | Natural Arch | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 154 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Conflagration Arch | Natural Arch | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:05 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:06 PM – 3:46 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:21 PM – 3:31 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:17 PM – 2:07 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 8:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 7:59 PM – 9:59 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 7:18 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (43%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.