Montrose is a city of about 19,062 people in Montrose County, Colorado, at 1,770 m (5,807 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:28 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:52 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 30m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Montrose
At Montrose 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 301° (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 Montrose
82 photo locations lie within 80 km of Montrose. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
Waterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
Botanical Gardens
Canyons
Mountain Peaks
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Montrose is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Ridgway State Park, about 32 km (20 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgway State Park | State Park | 32 km (20 mi) | 1 |
| Orvis Hot Spring | Hot Spring | 40 km (25 mi) | 1 |
| Blue Creek Canyon | Canyon | 42 km (26 mi) | 1 |
| Dallas Divide | Mountain Pass | 43 km (27 mi) | 1 |
| Tabeguache Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 43 km (27 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Sneffels Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 52 km (32 mi) | 1 |
| Norwood | Dark Sky Place | 53 km (33 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Sneffels | Mountain Peak | 53 km (33 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.7 | 23° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:03 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.