Butte is a city of about 34,190 people in Silver Bow County, Montana, at 1,688 m (5,538 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:54 AM and sets at 6:37 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:55 PM – 6:55 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 | 8:09 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:44 AM | 8:23 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:23 PM | 10:02 PM | 15h 44m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:48 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:16 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 7:31 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 8:06 AM | 8:56 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 40m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Butte
At Butte the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 21° in winter.
Best photo spots near Butte
28 photo locations lie within 80 km of Butte. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Hot Springs
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringFire Lookouts
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Butte is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Beaverhead–Deerlodge National Forest, about 49 km (30 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead–Deerlodge National Forest | National Forest | 49 km (30 mi) | 1 |
| Lewis and Clark Caverns | Cave | 53 km (33 mi) | 1 |
| Pony | Ghost Town | 63 km (39 mi) | 1 |
| Granite | Ghost Town | 65 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| Potosi Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 67 km (42 mi) | 1 |
| Beaverhead Rock | Rock Formation | 69 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Pintler Falls | Waterfall | 72 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 72 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:46 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| April | 3:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 1.2 | 14° |
| May | 1:40 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| June | 12:06 AM – 2:56 AM | 2.8 | 15° |
| July | 11:46 PM – 1:36 AM | 1.8 | 15° |
| August | 10:39 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.0 | 14° |
| September | 9:26 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.2 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.