Salina is a city of about 47,813 people in Saline County, Kansas, at 373 m (1,224 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:45 AM and sets at 6:46 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:10 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 | 7:48 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:02 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:43 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Salina
At Salina 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 Salina
8 photo locations lie within 80 km of Salina. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Salina is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge, about 162 km (101 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 162 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| Cedar Bluff State Park | State Park | 187 km (116 mi) | 1 |
| Mushroom Rock State Park | State Park | 39 km (24 mi) | 2 |
| Kanopolis State Park | State Park | 39 km (24 mi) | 2 |
| Wilson State Park | State Park | 78 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Kaw Mission | State Park | 99 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill | Cave | 99 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Quivira National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 107 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:37 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:46 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:42 AM – 5:12 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:43 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:55 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.2 | 22° |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:38 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:35 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:41 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 40% 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.