Sarasota is a city of about 55,118 people in Sarasota County, Florida. Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:58 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:26 PM – 7:12 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 | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 36m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 14m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 30m |
| June | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 51m |
| July | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 42m |
| August | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 07m |
| September | 7:16 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 48m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 26m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sarasota
At Sarasota the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sarasota
45 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sarasota. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
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LighthouseBeaches
Beach
BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
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Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sarasota is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, about 119 km (74 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 119 km (74 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Istokpoga | Lake | 123 km (77 mi) | 3 |
| Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park | Dark Sky Place | 146 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park | State Park | 146 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Big Bear Beach | Beach | 152 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Everglades Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area | National Wildlife Refuge | 158 km (98 mi) | 3 |
| Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 173 km (107 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Okeechobee | Lake | 177 km (110 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 21° |
| March | 3:47 AM – 6:17 AM | 2.5 | 30° |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.8 | 34° |
| May | 11:49 PM – 5:09 AM | 5.3 | 34° |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:59 AM | 7.0 | 34° |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.7 | 34° |
| August | 9:32 PM – 1:32 AM | 4.0 | 34° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.7 | 31° |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:30 PM | 1.2 | 22° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.