Pensacola is a city of about 53,724 people in Escambia County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 6:55 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:29 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 | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 06m |
| July | 5:58 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 56m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 12m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Pensacola
At Pensacola 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 Pensacola
41 photo locations lie within 80 km of Pensacola. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Beaches
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Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Pensacola is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Open Pond Lookout Tower, about 98 km (61 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Pond Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 98 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Britton Hill | Mountain Peak | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 115 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Vortex Spring | Cave | 128 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Ponce de Leon Springs State Park | State Park | 128 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Claiborne | Ghost Town | 128 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Hill Fire Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 152 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Breton National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 168 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:09 AM – 5:09 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 2.3 | 27° |
| April | 1:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:18 PM – 4:18 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 9:31 PM – 4:01 AM | 6.5 | 31° |
| July | 9:28 PM – 2:38 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 8:59 PM – 12:39 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:37 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:39 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.