Nampa is a city of about 89,839 people in Canyon County, Idaho, at 767 m (2,516 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:07 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:17 PM – 7:14 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 | 8:17 AM | 9:02 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 7:46 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 7:59 AM | 8:37 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:26 PM | 10:01 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:22 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 8:01 AM | 8:40 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 7:41 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 8:13 AM | 9:00 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:44 PM | 8h 58m |
Local time in America/Boise, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Nampa
At Nampa 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 Nampa
22 photo locations lie within 80 km of Nampa. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkCanyons
Mountain Peaks
Hot Springs
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringNational Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Nampa is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Danner, about 91 km (57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danner | Ghost Town | 91 km (57 mi) | 1 |
| North Fork Owyhee Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 98 km (61 mi) | 1 |
| West Crater | Volcano | 100 km (62 mi) | 1 |
| Groundhog Falls | Waterfall | 107 km (67 mi) | 1 |
| Owyhee Canyon Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 110 km (69 mi) | 1 |
| Camel Falls | Waterfall | 111 km (69 mi) | 1 |
| Pole Creek Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 113 km (70 mi) | 1 |
| The Falls | Waterfall | 116 km (72 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:38 AM – 6:18 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 3:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:51 PM – 3:41 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 11:38 PM – 2:18 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| August | 10:41 PM – 12:21 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:36 PM – 10:16 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.