Sanford is a city of about 58,111 people in Seminole County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 7:30 AM and sets at 6:51 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:19 PM – 7:06 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 | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 30m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 11m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 51m |
| May | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 35m |
| June | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 58m |
| July | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 49m |
| August | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 11m |
| September | 7:11 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 43m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 19m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sanford
At Sanford the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 38° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sanford
39 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sanford. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
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Beaches
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Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
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National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sanford is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, about 187 km (116 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 187 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Lake George | Lake | 63 km (39 mi) | 3 |
| Kerr City | Ghost Town | 80 km (50 mi) | 3 |
| Dunns Creek | State Park | 81 km (50 mi) | 3 |
| Johns Landing Trailhead | Fire Lookout | 82 km (51 mi) | 3 |
| Little Lake George Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 84 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Barco | Lake | 121 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park | Dark Sky Place | 133 km (83 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.3 | 29° |
| April | 1:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.8 | 32° |
| May | 11:49 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.2 | 32° |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:50 AM | 6.8 | 32° |
| July | 9:58 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.5 | 32° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:21 AM | 3.8 | 32° |
| September | 8:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.5 | 29° |
| October | 8:15 PM – 9:25 PM | 1.2 | 21° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.