Denver is a city of about 729,019 people in Denver County, Colorado, at 1,609 m (5,279 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:16 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 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 | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Denver
At Denver the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (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 Denver
105 photo locations lie within 80 km of Denver. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Denver is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, about 126 km (78 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Peaks Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 126 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Gore Canyon | Canyon | 133 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Hagerman Pass | Mountain Pass | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Gore Pass | Mountain Pass | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Massive Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 141 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Massive | Mountain Peak | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Rawah Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 143 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Elbert | Mountain Peak | 143 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.5 | 21° |
| May | 12:18 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| June | 10:32 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.8 | 21° |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.7 | 21° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:59 PM | 2.3 | 21° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.3 | 18° |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 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 (57%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.