Elko is a city of about 20,279 people in Elko County, Nevada, at 1,544 m (5,066 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:00 AM and sets at 5:57 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:19 PM – 6:14 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 | 7:06 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:53 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:50 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:31 AM | 7:12 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:01 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Elko
At Elko the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Elko
54 photo locations lie within 80 km of Elko. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lakes
Natural Arches
Canyons
Mountain Peaks
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakHot Springs
Hot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringHot SpringNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Elko is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Dinner Station, about 31 km (19 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinner Station | Ghost Town | 31 km (19 mi) | 1 |
| Hot Spring | Hot Spring | 40 km (25 mi) | 1 |
| Robinson Lake | Lake | 42 km (26 mi) | 1 |
| Palisade | Ghost Town | 44 km (28 mi) | 1 |
| King Peak | Mountain Peak | 47 km (29 mi) | 1 |
| Goldville | Ghost Town | 47 km (29 mi) | 1 |
| Emigrant Pass | Mountain Pass | 47 km (29 mi) | 1 |
| Sulphur Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 49 km (30 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:11 AM – 4:21 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:07 AM – 3:27 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 10:23 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.7 | 20° |
| July | 10:14 PM – 1:34 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 9:26 PM – 11:36 PM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:27 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:35 PM – 7:35 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.