Derby is a city of about 23,509 people in Sedgwick County, Kansas, at 394 m (1,293 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:43 AM and sets at 6:46 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:11 PM – 7:03 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 | 7:43 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:37 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Derby
At Derby the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Derby
3 photo locations lie within 80 km of Derby. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Derby is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Osro Falls, about 91 km (57 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osro Falls | Waterfall | 91 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Butcher Falls | Waterfall | 99 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Whizbang | Ghost Town | 100 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Cross Timbers State Park | State Park | 120 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Quivira National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Kanopolis State Park | State Park | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill | Cave | 141 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:34 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:26 AM | 3.8 | 24° |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 5.3 | 24° |
| July | 10:40 PM – 2:40 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:20 PM – 8:40 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.