Benton is a city of about 34,177 people in Saline County, Arkansas, at 124 m (407 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:21 AM and sets at 6:31 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:57 PM – 6:47 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 51m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Benton
At Benton 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Benton
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Benton. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Benton is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Ouachita, about 68 km (43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Ouachita | Lake | 68 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Ouachita Vista Point of Interest | Scenic Viewpoint | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park | State Park | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Cane Creek State Park | State Park | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Racket Ridge | Ghost Town | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Poison Springs Battleground State Park | State Park | 110 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Nebraska | Ghost Town | 112 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Cache River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:10 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:41 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:43 PM | 2.0 | 23° |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:40 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.