Prescott is a city of about 41,899 people in Yavapai County, Arizona, at 1,638 m (5,374 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:40 AM and sets at 5:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:16 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 | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:55 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 51m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Prescott
At Prescott 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Prescott
63 photo locations lie within 80 km of Prescott. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkNatural Arches
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchCanyons
Mountain Peaks
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Prescott is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Red Butte, about 146 km (91 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 | 146 km (91 mi) | 1 |
| Red Butte Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 147 km (91 mi) | 1 |
| Sycamore Canyon | Canyon | 152 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Horseshoe Mesa | Rock Formation | 171 km (106 mi) | 1 |
| Canyon Village Market & Deli | Canyon | 171 km (106 mi) | 1 |
| Grand Canyon National Park | Dark Sky Place | 171 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| Hermit Canyon | Canyon | 171 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| Trail View Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 172 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:20 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:31 PM – 3:31 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:26 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 8:51 PM – 12:01 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:03 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:20 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 17% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (45%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.