Missoula is a city of about 71,022 people in Missoula County, Montana, at 978 m (3,209 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:02 AM and sets at 6:41 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:59 PM – 7:00 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 | 8:18 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:49 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 7:41 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:18 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:50 AM | 8:30 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:33 PM | 10:12 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:28 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:54 AM | 8:36 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:21 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:40 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 8:15 AM | 9:07 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 8h 33m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Missoula
At Missoula the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
Best photo spots near Missoula
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Missoula. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
Lakes
Canyons
Mountain Peaks
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Missoula is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mission Falls, about 52 km (32 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Falls | Waterfall | 52 km (32 mi) | 1 |
| Elizabeth Falls | Waterfall | 52 km (32 mi) | 1 |
| McDonald Peak | Mountain Peak | 57 km (35 mi) | 1 |
| Morrell Falls | Waterfall | 62 km (39 mi) | 1 |
| Eagle Pass | Mountain Pass | 64 km (39 mi) | 1 |
| Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 64 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Calowahcan | Mountain Peak | 65 km (41 mi) | 1 |
| Skalkaho Falls | Waterfall | 70 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:53 AM – 6:03 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| April | 3:56 AM – 4:46 AM | 0.8 | 13° |
| May | 2:02 AM – 3:32 AM | 1.5 | 14° |
| June | 12:24 AM – 2:44 AM | 2.3 | 14° |
| July | 12:01 AM – 1:41 AM | 1.7 | 14° |
| August | 10:49 PM – 11:39 PM | 0.8 | 13° |
| September | 9:34 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
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.