Longmont is a city of about 92,088 people in Boulder County, Colorado, at 1,519 m (4,984 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:17 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 20m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Longmont
At Longmont 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Longmont
135 photo locations lie within 80 km of Longmont. 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 Longmont is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Rawah Wilderness, about 101 km (62 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rawah Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 101 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 111 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Arapaho Pass | Mountain Pass | 119 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Pawnee Buttes | Rock Formation | 120 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Gore Canyon | Canyon | 121 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Gore Pass | Mountain Pass | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Muddy Pass | Mountain Pass | 128 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Panorama Point | Mountain Peak | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.2 | 18° |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:26 AM | 4.8 | 21° |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 20° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.2 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (67%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.