Alexandria is a city of about 47,889 people in Rapides Parish, Louisiana. Today the sun rises at 7:17 AM and sets at 6:34 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:01 PM – 6:49 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 | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 20m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 56m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 45m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 10m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 00m |
| August | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 18m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 07m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Alexandria
At Alexandria the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Alexandria
13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Alexandria. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Alexandria is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kisatchie National Forest, about 36 km (23 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kisatchie National Forest | National Forest | 36 km (23 mi) | 2 |
| Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 47 km (29 mi) | 2 |
| Bayou Pierre Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 51 km (32 mi) | 2 |
| Bolton Hill Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 52 km (32 mi) | 2 |
| Bayou Cypre Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 53 km (33 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Ophelia National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 58 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Melrose Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 61 km (38 mi) | 2 |
| Bayou Luce Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 63 km (39 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.8 | 19° |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:49 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 1:43 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:42 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| June | 9:55 PM – 4:25 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 9:52 PM – 3:02 AM | 5.2 | 30° |
| August | 9:22 PM – 12:52 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:49 PM | 2.2 | 27° |
| October | 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.