Sun City West is a city of about 24,535 people in Maricopa County, Arizona, at 376 m (1,234 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:39 AM and sets at 5:51 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:17 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 | 7:34 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:11 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time in America/Phoenix, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sun City West
At Sun City West 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 Sun City West
65 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sun City West. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchMountain Peaks
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sun City West is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Natural Arch, about 112 km (70 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 112 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Arrastra Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 125 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| New Hope | Natural Arch | 125 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 125 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Royal Arch | Natural Arch | 126 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Conflagration Arch | Natural Arch | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Alamo Crossing | Ghost Town | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Alamo Lake State Park | State Park | 133 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:10 AM – 5:10 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:20 PM – 3:50 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 9:26 PM – 3:26 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:22 PM – 2:02 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 8:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:01 PM – 10:01 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:19 PM – 7:59 PM | 0.7 | 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 (43%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.