Boise is a city of about 235,684 people in Ada County, Idaho, at 823 m (2,700 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:06 AM and sets at 6:55 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:15 PM – 7:13 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 | 8:16 AM | 9:01 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:58 AM | 8:36 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 6:21 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:36 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:05 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:25 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 8:00 AM | 8:39 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:40 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 8:12 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:42 PM | 8h 57m |
Local time in America/Boise, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Boise
At Boise the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Boise
24 photo locations lie within 80 km of Boise. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkMountain Peaks
Hot Springs
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringNational Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Boise is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Fern Falls, about 101 km (63 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fern Falls | Waterfall | 101 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Sawtooth Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 101 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Raft River National Forest | National Forest | 102 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Sacajawea Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 102 km (64 mi) | 1 |
| Smith Falls | Waterfall | 103 km (64 mi) | 1 |
| Elk Peak | Mountain Peak | 104 km (65 mi) | 1 |
| Snowyside Peak | Mountain Peak | 105 km (65 mi) | 1 |
| Payette Peak | Mountain Peak | 106 km (66 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:37 AM – 6:17 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 3:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:36 AM – 4:16 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:50 PM – 3:40 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 11:37 PM – 2:17 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| August | 10:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:35 PM – 10:15 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.