Fort Smith is a city of about 88,194 people in Sebastian County, Arkansas, at 134 m (440 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:29 AM and sets at 6:37 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:03 PM – 6:53 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 | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:29 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:09 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 47m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Fort Smith
At Fort Smith the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Fort Smith
26 photo locations lie within 80 km of Fort Smith. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Mountain Peaks
Fire Lookouts
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Fort Smith is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sensation, about 60 km (37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensation | Ghost Town | 60 km (37 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Wister State Park | State Park | 62 km (39 mi) | 2 |
| Saddle Gap | Mountain Pass | 72 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Magazine | Mountain Peak | 73 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Magazine State Park | State Park | 75 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Black Fork Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 75 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Queen Wilhelmina State Park | State Park | 78 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Rich Mountain Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 79 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:11 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:11 AM – 5:11 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:26 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:24 PM – 4:14 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:42 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:43 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:39 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
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.