Rio Rancho is a city of about 87,521 people in Sandoval County, New Mexico, at 1,610 m (5,282 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:52 PM – 6:42 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 | 7:15 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rio Rancho
At Rio Rancho 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 Rio Rancho
32 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rio Rancho. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rio Rancho is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Fajada Butte, about 142 km (89 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fajada Butte | Rock Formation | 142 km (89 mi) | 1 |
| Fajada Gap | Mountain Pass | 142 km (89 mi) | 1 |
| Chaco Culture National Historical Park | Dark Sky Place | 150 km (93 mi) | 1 |
| Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| El Morro National Monument | Dark Sky Place | 155 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Woodpecker Arch | Natural Arch | 155 km (97 mi) | 1 |
| Withington Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 166 km (103 mi) | 1 |
| Carrizozo Malpais | Volcano | 174 km (108 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:59 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:04 AM – 4:14 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:30 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:38 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (52%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.