Surprise is a city of about 143,148 people in Maricopa County, Arizona, at 358 m (1,175 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 | 8:11 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 | 7:00 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 22m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:09 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 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 | 8:05 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 Surprise
At Surprise 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 Surprise
65 photo locations lie within 80 km of Surprise. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
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 Surprise is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Natural Arch, about 113 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 | 113 km (70 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 |
| Arrastra Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 128 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Alamo Lake State Park | State Park | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Alamo Crossing | Ghost Town | 135 km (84 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.