Alpharetta is a city of about 63,693 people in Fulton County, Georgia, at 347 m (1,138 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:47 AM and sets at 6:58 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:24 PM – 7:14 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 | 7:43 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:49 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Alpharetta
At Alpharetta the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Alpharetta
94 photo locations lie within 80 km of Alpharetta. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Alpharetta is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hamburg State Park, about 171 km (106 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg State Park | State Park | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Amicalola Falls | Waterfall | 55 km (34 mi) | 3 |
| Cochrans Falls | Waterfall | 57 km (35 mi) | 3 |
| Nimblewill Gap | Mountain Pass | 60 km (37 mi) | 3 |
| Black Mountain | Mountain Peak | 60 km (38 mi) | 3 |
| Springer Mountain | Mountain Peak | 62 km (39 mi) | 3 |
| Big Stamp Gap | Mountain Pass | 63 km (39 mi) | 3 |
| Black Falls | Waterfall | 63 km (39 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:28 AM – 6:18 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 2:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:35 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:57 PM – 1:07 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 9:10 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:07 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.