Jacksonville is a city of about 28,643 people in Pulaski County, Arkansas, at 87 m (285 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:19 AM and sets at 6:29 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:54 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 50m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Jacksonville
At Jacksonville 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 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Jacksonville
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of Jacksonville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Jacksonville is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, about 67 km (42 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cache River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 67 km (42 mi) | 2 |
| Racket Ridge | Ghost Town | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Arlberg Arch | Natural Arch | 102 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Bear Pen Falls | Waterfall | 107 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Cane Creek State Park | State Park | 111 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Ouachita | Lake | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Arkansas Post | State Park | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:23 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:00 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:05 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:32 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:39 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.