Dodge City is a city of about 27,912 people in Ford County, Kansas, at 760 m (2,493 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:54 AM and sets at 6:57 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:21 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 | 7:55 AM | 8:35 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:52 AM | 8:27 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:36 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 7:23 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:49 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:49 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 34m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Dodge City
At Dodge City 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 Dodge City
1 photo locations lie within 80 km of Dodge City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Dodge City is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Meade State Park, about 75 km (47 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meade State Park | State Park | 75 km (47 mi) | 1 |
| Cline | Ghost Town | 109 km (68 mi) | 1 |
| Cedar Bluff State Park | State Park | 116 km (72 mi) | 1 |
| Lake Scott State Park | State Park | 129 km (80 mi) | 1 |
| Monument Rocks Arch | Natural Arch | 133 km (83 mi) | 1 |
| Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park | State Park | 142 km (88 mi) | 1 |
| Arkalon | Ghost Town | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Alabaster Caverns Bridge (historical) | Natural Arch | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:38 AM – 5:58 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:45 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:49 AM – 5:29 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:38 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:59 PM – 4:19 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 10:12 PM – 12:52 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 9:18 PM – 10:48 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:31 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 37% 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.