New Orleans is a city of about 362,701 people in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Today the sun rises at 7:06 AM and sets at 6:25 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:53 PM – 6:40 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 14m |
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 New Orleans
At New Orleans 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 83° in summer but only 37° in winter.
Best photo spots near New Orleans
31 photo locations lie within 80 km of New Orleans. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
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LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central New Orleans is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Grand Isle State Park, about 78 km (49 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Isle State Park | State Park | 78 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Delta National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 115 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Head of Passes West Jetty Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 120 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Head of Passes East Jetty Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 120 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Breton National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 121 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Head of Passes Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 121 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Burrwood | Ghost Town | 129 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Oyster Bayou Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 131 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:20 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:48 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 1:31 AM – 5:01 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:28 PM – 4:28 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 9:40 PM – 4:20 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:57 AM | 5.3 | 31° |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:49 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:47 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:50 PM | 1.0 | 20° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (58%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.