Sierra Vista is a city of about 43,355 people in Cochise County, Arizona, at 1,412 m (4,633 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:29 AM and sets at 5:45 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:12 PM – 6:00 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 | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 06m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sierra Vista
At Sierra Vista 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 Sierra Vista
49 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sierra Vista. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Natural Arches
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sierra Vista is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Brushy Canyon Falls, about 96 km (60 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 | 96 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Monte Vista Peak Lookout | Scenic Viewpoint | 98 km (61 mi) | 1 |
| Monte Vista Lookout | Fire Lookout | 98 km (61 mi) | 1 |
| Callahan Falls | Waterfall | 99 km (61 mi) | 1 |
| Paint Rock Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 100 km (62 mi) | 1 |
| Rucker Canyon Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 100 km (62 mi) | 1 |
| Upper Rucker Canyon Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 101 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Chiricahua Peak | Mountain Peak | 101 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 12:55 AM – 4:25 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 10:54 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.8 | 30° |
| June | 9:07 PM – 3:37 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 9:04 PM – 2:04 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| August | 8:33 PM – 12:03 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| September | 7:50 PM – 10:00 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:01 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.