Gainesville is a city of about 38,712 people in Hall County, Georgia, at 381 m (1,250 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:45 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:22 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 | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:47 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 7:19 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Gainesville
At Gainesville 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 300° (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 Gainesville
217 photo locations lie within 80 km of Gainesville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Gainesville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hamburg State Park, about 155 km (97 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 | 155 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Yonah Mountain | Mountain Peak | 39 km (24 mi) | 3 |
| Kesler Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 42 km (26 mi) | 3 |
| Chestatee Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 43 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| High Gap | Mountain Pass | 44 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| Black Falls | Waterfall | 44 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Grassy Gap | Mountain Pass | 45 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Dukes Creek | Waterfall | 45 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:34 PM – 4:34 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 9:08 PM – 11:08 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:25 PM – 9:05 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.