Panama City is a city of about 38,286 people in Bay County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 6:49 AM and sets at 6:08 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:35 PM – 6:23 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 | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:56 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:50 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 13m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Panama City
At Panama City 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 Panama City
21 photo locations lie within 80 km of Panama City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLighthouses
Beaches
National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Panama City is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is St. Joseph Point Light, about 38 km (24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph Point Light | Lighthouse | 38 km (24 mi) | 2 |
| St. Joseph Peninsula State Park | State Park | 52 km (32 mi) | 2 |
| Cape San Blas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 62 km (38 mi) | 2 |
| Money Beach | Beach | 64 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Ponce de Leon Springs State Park | State Park | 66 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Alum Bluff Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 73 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Vortex Spring | Cave | 73 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 77 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 1:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:11 PM – 4:11 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 9:24 PM – 4:04 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 9:21 PM – 2:31 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 8:52 PM – 12:32 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:11 PM – 10:31 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:33 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 July as the cloudiest (55%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.