Ashland is a city of about 21,108 people in Boyd County, Kentucky, at 168 m (551 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:45 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 | 7:47 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:43 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 30m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ashland
At Ashland 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 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Ashland
29 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ashland. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkCovered Bridges
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeCovered BridgeCanyons
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ashland is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Chief Logan State Park, about 85 km (53 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Logan State Park | State Park | 85 km (53 mi) | 2 |
| Kanawha Falls | Waterfall | 130 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Cathedral Falls | Waterfall | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Breaks Interstate Park | State Park | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| State Line Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| The Breaks Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Clinchfield Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| The Towers Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 136 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| March | 4:47 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:42 AM – 5:12 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:43 AM – 4:33 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:55 PM – 4:05 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:38 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 10:06 PM – 12:36 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:41 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:22 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (74%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.