Hays is a city of about 21,092 people in Ellis County, Kansas, at 616 m (2,021 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:52 AM and sets at 6:53 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:17 PM – 7:10 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 | 8:36 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:50 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 6:25 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:47 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:50 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hays
At Hays 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Hays
2 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hays. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hays is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cedar Bluff State Park, about 40 km (25 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Bluff State Park | State Park | 40 km (25 mi) | 1 |
| Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 86 km (53 mi) | 1 |
| Monument Rocks Arch | Natural Arch | 125 km (78 mi) | 1 |
| Lake Scott State Park | State Park | 140 km (87 mi) | 1 |
| Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park | State Park | 140 km (87 mi) | 1 |
| Elephant Rock | Natural Arch | 163 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Wilson State Park | State Park | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Quivira National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:44 AM – 5:54 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:53 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:49 AM – 5:19 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:51 AM – 4:31 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 11:04 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:57 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 10:13 PM – 12:43 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 9:18 PM – 10:38 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:29 PM – 8:39 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
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 (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.