Clovis is a city of about 39,480 people in Curry County, New Mexico, at 1,301 m (4,268 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:03 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:29 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 | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Clovis
At Clovis 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Clovis
5 photo locations lie within 80 km of Clovis. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Clovis is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Tolar, about 67 km (42 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tolar | Ghost Town | 67 km (42 mi) | 1 |
| Glenrio | Ghost Town | 87 km (54 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 167 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Trementina | Ghost Town | 169 km (105 mi) | 1 |
| Sabinoso Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 181 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 196 km (122 mi) | 1 |
| Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway | State Park | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Grulla National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 37 km (23 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:47 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:53 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:49 PM – 2:29 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:14 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:43 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (49%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.