Daytona Beach is a city of about 72,647 people in Volusia County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 7:29 AM and sets at 6:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:18 PM – 7:05 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 | 7:55 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 29m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 8:06 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 36m |
| June | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 00m |
| July | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 50m |
| August | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 12m |
| September | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 42m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 17m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Daytona Beach
At Daytona Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
Best photo spots near Daytona Beach
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Daytona Beach. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Beaches
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
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Botanical GardenFire Lookouts
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Daytona Beach is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake George, about 56 km (35 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake George | Lake | 56 km (35 mi) | 3 |
| Dunns Creek | State Park | 62 km (39 mi) | 3 |
| Johns Landing Trailhead | Fire Lookout | 67 km (42 mi) | 3 |
| Little Lake George Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 72 km (45 mi) | 3 |
| Kerr City | Ghost Town | 76 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Barco | Lake | 109 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| O'Leno State Park | State Park | 170 km (106 mi) | 3 |
| Osceola National Forest | National Forest | 174 km (108 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.8 | 19° |
| March | 3:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.3 | 29° |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.7 | 32° |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.2 | 32° |
| June | 10:01 PM – 4:41 AM | 6.7 | 32° |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:18 AM | 5.3 | 32° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.8 | 32° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.5 | 29° |
| October | 8:14 PM – 9:14 PM | 1.0 | 20° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.