Idaho Falls is a city of about 59,184 people in Bonneville County, Idaho, at 1,434 m (4,705 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:49 AM and sets at 6:38 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:59 PM – 6:56 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 | 7:59 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 6:04 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:47 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:43 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 7:23 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:55 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 58m |
Local time in America/Boise, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Idaho Falls
At Idaho Falls the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (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 Idaho Falls
12 photo locations lie within 80 km of Idaho Falls. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
Botanical Gardens
Mountain Peaks
Hot Springs
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Idaho Falls is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Alpine Hot Springs, about 79 km (49 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alpine Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 79 km (49 mi) | 1 |
| Haden | Ghost Town | 79 km (49 mi) | 1 |
| Big Southern Butte | Mountain Peak | 80 km (50 mi) | 1 |
| Lidy Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 86 km (54 mi) | 1 |
| Butte Crater | Volcano | 88 km (55 mi) | 1 |
| Snake River Canyon | Canyon | 90 km (56 mi) | 1 |
| Morgan Crater | Volcano | 93 km (58 mi) | 1 |
| The Crater | Volcano | 93 km (58 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:20 AM – 6:00 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:55 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:19 AM – 3:59 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:33 PM – 3:23 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 11:20 PM – 2:00 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| August | 10:23 PM – 12:03 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:18 PM – 9:58 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.