Thornton is a city of about 133,451 people in Adams County, Colorado, at 1,631 m (5,351 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:16 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 PM – 6:31 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 | 8:02 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:36 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 | 6:24 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 44m |
| 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 | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 22m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Thornton
At Thornton 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 Thornton
116 photo locations lie within 80 km of Thornton. 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 Thornton is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Gore Canyon, about 132 km (82 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gore Canyon | Canyon | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Rawah Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Buffalo Peaks Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 136 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Pawnee Buttes | Rock Formation | 136 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Gore Pass | Mountain Pass | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Arapaho Pass | Mountain Pass | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Hagerman Pass | Mountain Pass | 146 km (91 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.