Oro Valley is a city of about 45,303 people in Pima County, Arizona, at 798 m (2,618 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 | 8:03 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:37 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 | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:32 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 | 7:30 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 02m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Oro Valley
At Oro Valley 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 Oro Valley
70 photo locations lie within 80 km of Oro Valley. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNatural Arches
Canyons
Canyon
Canyon
Canyon
CanyonCanyonCanyonNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Oro Valley is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Chiricahua Natural Bridge, about 157 km (98 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 | 157 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Chiricahua National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 157 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Bonita Canyon | Canyon | 157 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Sea Captain | Scenic Viewpoint | 159 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Wood Canyon Waterfall | Waterfall | 159 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Sugarloaf Mountain Lookout | Fire Lookout | 160 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Stream Beds | Scenic Viewpoint | 160 km (100 mi) | 1 |
| Chiricahua Mountains Wildernes | Scenic Viewpoint | 161 km (100 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 | 1:00 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:00 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:15 PM – 3:35 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:11 PM – 2:01 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| August | 8:39 PM – 11:59 PM | 3.3 | 29° |
| September | 7:54 PM – 10:04 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| 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.