Little Rock is a city of about 202,591 people in Pulaski County, Arkansas, at 102 m (335 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:20 AM and sets at 6:30 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:55 PM – 6:45 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:07 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:08 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 50m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Little Rock
At Little Rock 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 Little Rock
14 photo locations lie within 80 km of Little Rock. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Rock Formations
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Little Rock is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, about 83 km (52 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 | 83 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| Racket Ridge | Ghost Town | 95 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Ouachita | Lake | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Ouachita Vista Point of Interest | Scenic Viewpoint | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Cane Creek State Park | State Park | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park | State Park | 107 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Arlberg Arch | Natural Arch | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:01 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 12:41 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:33 PM | 1.8 | 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.