Gallup is a city of about 23,240 people in McKinley County, New Mexico, at 1,985 m (6,512 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:35 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:00 PM – 6:50 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Gallup
At Gallup the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Gallup
15 photo locations lie within 80 km of Gallup. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Natural Arches
Natural Arch
Natural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchNatural ArchCanyons
Rock Formations
Dark Sky Places
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Gallup is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is The Great Eye, about 48 km (30 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Great Eye | Natural Arch | 48 km (30 mi) | 1 |
| Arizona: Querino Canyon Bridge | Canyon | 56 km (35 mi) | 1 |
| Narbona Pass | Mountain Pass | 63 km (39 mi) | 1 |
| Woodpecker Arch | Natural Arch | 64 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| El Morro National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 65 km (40 mi) | 1 |
| Three Turkey Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 80 km (50 mi) | 1 |
| Spider Rock Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 85 km (53 mi) | 1 |
| Face Rock Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 85 km (53 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:13 AM – 4:23 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:21 PM – 4:11 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:39 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:36 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 30% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (55%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.