Key West is a city of about 25,755 people in Monroe County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 7:28 AM and sets at 6:57 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:26 PM – 7:11 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 | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 47m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 39m |
| July | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 31m |
| August | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 37m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Key West
At Key West the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
Best photo spots near Key West
14 photo locations lie within 80 km of Key West. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Key West is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Rebecca Shoal Light, about 81 km (51 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rebecca Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 81 km (51 mi) | 1 |
| Garden Key Light | Lighthouse | 111 km (69 mi) | 1 |
| Dry Tortugas Light | Lighthouse | 115 km (72 mi) | 1 |
| Smih Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 23 km (14 mi) | 2 |
| Smith Shoal Light (historical) | Lighthouse | 23 km (14 mi) | 2 |
| Perky | Ghost Town | 24 km (15 mi) | 2 |
| American Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 27 km (17 mi) | 2 |
| Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 29 km (18 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 23° |
| March | 3:32 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.7 | 33° |
| April | 1:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 4.0 | 37° |
| May | 11:38 PM – 5:18 AM | 5.7 | 37° |
| June | 9:46 PM – 5:06 AM | 7.3 | 37° |
| July | 9:46 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.8 | 37° |
| August | 9:23 PM – 1:43 AM | 4.3 | 37° |
| September | 8:49 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.8 | 34° |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.3 | 24° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.