San Tan Valley is a city of about 81,321 people in Pinal County, Arizona, at 462 m (1,516 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:35 AM and sets at 5:48 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:14 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 | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:59 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in San Tan Valley
At San Tan 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near San Tan Valley
68 photo locations lie within 80 km of San Tan Valley. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central San Tan Valley is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mount Turnbull, about 119 km (74 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Turnbull | Mountain Peak | 119 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Nelson Lake Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 141 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Fishhooks Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 144 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Gentry Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 145 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Buckskin Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 147 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| West Peak Fire Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| West Peak Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Black Canyon Lake | Lake | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:07 AM – 5:07 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:05 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:20 PM – 3:30 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:16 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 8:43 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 7:57 PM – 9:57 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 7:16 PM – 8:06 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 (49%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.