Jacksonville Beach is a city of about 23,064 people in Duval County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 7:32 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 | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 12m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Jacksonville Beach
At Jacksonville 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 Jacksonville Beach
25 photo locations lie within 80 km of Jacksonville Beach. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
Lakes
Lighthouses
LighthouseBeaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Jacksonville Beach is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, about 134 km (83 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 134 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Suwannee River State Park | State Park | 170 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Lafayette Blue Springs State Park | State Park | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Madison Blue Springs State Park | State Park | 179 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Steinhatchee Falls | Waterfall | 197 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 197 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Little Cumberland Island Light | Lighthouse | 76 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:54 AM – 6:14 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 1:57 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:54 PM – 4:54 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 10:07 PM – 4:47 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 10:04 PM – 3:14 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 9:35 PM – 1:15 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:14 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 8:16 PM – 9:16 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.