Monroe is a city of about 49,598 people in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. Today the sun rises at 7:17 AM and sets at 6:31 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:58 PM – 6:46 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 | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 15m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 49m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 05m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 02m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Monroe
At Monroe the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Monroe
15 photo locations lie within 80 km of Monroe. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkBotanical Gardens
Mountain Peaks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
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National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Monroe is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge, about 40 km (25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 40 km (25 mi) | 2 |
| Jimmie Davis State Park | State Park | 44 km (27 mi) | 2 |
| Chemin-A-Haut State Park | State Park | 51 km (32 mi) | 2 |
| Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 65 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Driskill Mountain | Mountain Peak | 74 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Overflow National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 75 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 76 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Claiborne State Park | State Park | 79 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:48 AM – 5:48 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 1:44 AM – 5:04 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:34 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:55 PM – 2:45 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| August | 9:23 PM – 12:43 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:49 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:48 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.