Wichita is a city of about 396,119 people in Sedgwick County, Kansas, at 396 m (1,299 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:43 AM and sets at 6:47 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 | 7:44 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 7:20 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 | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:38 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:38 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 34m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Wichita
At Wichita 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 Wichita
5 photo locations lie within 80 km of Wichita. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Wichita is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Osro Falls, about 106 km (66 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 | 106 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Butcher Falls | Waterfall | 112 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Quivira National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Whizbang | Ghost Town | 117 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Kanopolis State Park | State Park | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Cross Timbers State Park | State Park | 123 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Mushroom Rock State Park | State Park | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill | Cave | 131 km (81 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 | 2:38 AM – 5:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:27 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:41 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 10:01 PM – 12:41 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.