Honolulu is a city of about 350,964 people in Honolulu County, Hawaii. Today the sun rises at 6:30 AM and sets at 6:04 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:34 PM – 6:18 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 59m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 27m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 09m |
| June | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 25m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 18m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:36 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 07m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 51m |
Local time in Pacific/Honolulu, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Honolulu
At Honolulu the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 88° in summer but only 45° in winter.
Best photo spots near Honolulu
42 photo locations lie within 80 km of Honolulu. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Lighthouses
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Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Honolulu is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Heleleikeoha Falls, about 195 km (121 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heleleikeoha Falls | Waterfall | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Kahanu Garden | Botanical Garden | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Kaia Ranch Tropical Botanical Gardens | Botanical Garden | 198 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Alelele Falls | Waterfall | 198 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Pūwainui Falls | Waterfall | 198 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Waimoku Falls | Waterfall | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Lumahai Beach | Beach | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 68 km (42 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 26° |
| March | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 37° |
| April | 12:27 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.3 | 40° |
| May | 10:24 PM – 4:24 AM | 6.0 | 40° |
| June | 8:40 PM – 4:20 AM | 7.7 | 40° |
| July | 8:40 PM – 2:50 AM | 6.2 | 40° |
| August | 8:20 PM – 12:50 AM | 4.5 | 40° |
| September | 7:49 PM – 10:49 PM | 3.0 | 37° |
| October | 7:22 PM – 8:52 PM | 1.5 | 26° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.