Colorado Springs is a city of about 456,568 people in El Paso County, Colorado, at 1,832 m (6,010 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:14 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:32 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 | 7:57 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Colorado Springs
At Colorado Springs 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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Colorado Springs
44 photo locations lie within 80 km of Colorado Springs. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkNatural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchCanyons
CanyonCanyonCanyon
Canyon
CanyonMountain Peaks
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Colorado Springs is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Spanish Peaks, about 162 km (101 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Peaks | Mountain Peak | 162 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| West Spanish Peak | Mountain Peak | 163 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Cordova Pass | Mountain Pass | 166 km (103 mi) | 1 |
| Twin Peaks Window | Natural Arch | 168 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Cucharas Pass | Mountain Pass | 170 km (105 mi) | 1 |
| Picture Window | Natural Arch | 172 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| Window Rock | Natural Arch | 172 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| John Martin Reservoir State Park | State Park | 185 km (115 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:12 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.2 | 22° |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:07 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:59 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.