Lexington-Fayette is a city of about 314,488 people in Fayette County, Kentucky, at 305 m (1,001 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:52 AM and sets at 6:55 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:19 PM – 7:11 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 | 7:53 AM | 8:33 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:50 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 6:15 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:47 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:48 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 32m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Lexington-Fayette
At Lexington-Fayette 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 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Lexington-Fayette
48 photo locations lie within 80 km of Lexington-Fayette. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeNatural Arches
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Lexington-Fayette is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Daniel Boone National Forest, about 99 km (62 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Boone National Forest | National Forest | 99 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Falls of Buffalo | Waterfall | 112 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Squabble | Ghost Town | 117 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Three Forks of Beaver Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 128 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 134 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Eagle Falls | Waterfall | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Lovers Leap Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Cumberland Falls State Resort Park | State Park | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:35 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.5 | 19° |
| April | 2:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:47 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:58 PM – 4:18 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:51 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:47 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:29 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (72%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.