Hilo is a city of about 43,263 people in Hawaii County, Hawaii. Today the sun rises at 6:17 AM and sets at 5:54 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:25 PM – 6:08 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 04m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 04m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 19m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 13m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:46 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 5:28 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 12m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 57m |
Local time in Pacific/Honolulu, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hilo
At Hilo the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 295° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 47° in winter.
Best photo spots near Hilo
83 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hilo. 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 Hilo is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount, about 92 km (57 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount | Volcano | 92 km (57 mi) | 1 |
| Kamilo Beach | Beach | 100 km (62 mi) | 1 |
| Papakolea Beach | Beach | 106 km (66 mi) | 1 |
| Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 30 km (18 mi) | 2 |
| Laupāhoehoe | Ghost Town | 32 km (20 mi) | 2 |
| Kalalua | Volcano | 37 km (23 mi) | 2 |
| Puʻu ʻŌʻō | Volcano | 38 km (24 mi) | 2 |
| Hikiau Falls | Waterfall | 39 km (24 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 27° |
| March | 2:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.0 | 38° |
| April | 12:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.5 | 41° |
| May | 10:09 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.2 | 41° |
| June | 8:25 PM – 4:15 AM | 7.8 | 41° |
| July | 8:25 PM – 2:45 AM | 6.3 | 41° |
| August | 8:07 PM – 12:47 AM | 4.7 | 41° |
| September | 7:37 PM – 10:47 PM | 3.2 | 38° |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:51 PM | 1.7 | 27° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.