Rio Rico is a city of about 18,962 people in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, at 1,061 m (3,481 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:31 AM and sets at 5:48 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:15 PM – 6:03 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:56 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:59 PM | 14h 11m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:56 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 07m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rio Rico
At Rio Rico the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rio Rico
46 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rio Rico. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Natural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchCanyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rio Rico is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Brushy Canyon Falls, about 160 km (100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brushy Canyon Falls | Waterfall | 160 km (100 mi) | 1 |
| Monte Vista Peak Lookout | Scenic Viewpoint | 162 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Monte Vista Lookout | Fire Lookout | 162 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Callahan Falls | Waterfall | 163 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Paint Rock Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 164 km (102 mi) | 1 |
| Rucker Canyon Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 164 km (102 mi) | 1 |
| Chiricahua National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 164 km (102 mi) | 1 |
| Bonita Canyon | Canyon | 164 km (102 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 12:58 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 10:57 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.8 | 30° |
| June | 9:10 PM – 3:40 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 9:07 PM – 2:07 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| August | 8:36 PM – 12:06 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| September | 7:53 PM – 10:03 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 May as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (62%). June is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.