Columbus is a city of about 206,922 people in Muscogee County, Georgia, at 82 m (269 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:48 AM and sets at 7:03 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:29 PM – 7:18 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 | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:51 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:13 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 16m |
| July | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:44 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 02m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Columbus
At Columbus 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Columbus
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Columbus. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeNational Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Columbus is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is George T. Bagby State Park, about 89 km (55 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| George T. Bagby State Park | State Park | 89 km (55 mi) | 2 |
| View point | Scenic Viewpoint | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| West Bank Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 95 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Murrell Hill Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 29 km (18 mi) | 3 |
| Martins Knob Lookout Tower | Scenic Viewpoint | 39 km (24 mi) | 3 |
| Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center | Botanical Garden | 43 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| Callaway Gardens | Botanical Garden | 45 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 52 km (33 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 4:20 AM – 6:20 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 5:06 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:31 PM – 4:51 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 10:27 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:15 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| September | 9:11 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 8:30 PM – 9:20 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February 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.