Highlands Ranch is a city of about 96,713 people in Douglas County, Colorado, at 1,732 m (5,682 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 | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 41m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:32 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 | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 57m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 42m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 24m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Highlands Ranch
At Highlands Ranch the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 Highlands Ranch
96 photo locations lie within 80 km of Highlands Ranch. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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Botanical GardenNatural Arches
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Highlands Ranch is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Buffalo Peaks Wilderness, about 116 km (72 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 | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Hagerman Pass | Mountain Pass | 134 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Massive Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Oxford | Mountain Peak | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Columbia | Mountain Peak | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Massive | Mountain Peak | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Harvard | Mountain Peak | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Elbert | Mountain Peak | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.3 | 18° |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.5 | 21° |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:47 AM | 3.5 | 22° |
| June | 10:31 PM – 3:31 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:58 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.