Fort Walton Beach is a city of about 21,817 people in Okaloosa County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 6:53 AM and sets at 6:11 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:26 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 | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 06m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:18 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:48 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 12m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Fort Walton Beach
At Fort Walton 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
Best photo spots near Fort Walton Beach
38 photo locations lie within 80 km of Fort Walton Beach. 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 Fort Walton Beach is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Britton Hill, about 71 km (44 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britton Hill | Mountain Peak | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Ponce de Leon Springs State Park | State Park | 73 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 74 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Vortex Spring | Cave | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Open Pond Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| St. Joseph Point Light | Lighthouse | 131 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| St. Joseph Peninsula State Park | State Park | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Cape San Blas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 147 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 2.3 | 27° |
| April | 1:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:15 PM – 4:15 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 9:28 PM – 3:58 AM | 6.5 | 31° |
| July | 9:25 PM – 2:35 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 8:56 PM – 12:36 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:14 PM – 10:34 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:36 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.