Clifton is a city of about 19,889 people in Mesa County, Colorado, at 1,440 m (4,724 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:29 AM and sets at 6:29 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:53 PM – 6:46 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 | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 26m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Clifton
At Clifton the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
Best photo spots near Clifton
63 photo locations lie within 80 km of Clifton. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Clifton is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Douglas Pass, about 64 km (40 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas Pass | Mountain Pass | 64 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| Westwater Canyon | Canyon | 69 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Juanita Arch | Natural Arch | 69 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Overlook Gas Field | Scenic Viewpoint | 70 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Overlook Ridge | Scenic Viewpoint | 71 km (44 mi) | 1 |
| Tabeguache Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 76 km (47 mi) | 1 |
| Cisco | Ghost Town | 76 km (48 mi) | 1 |
| Arrowhead Arch | Natural Arch | 82 km (51 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:21 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:41 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.