Asheville is a city of about 95,056 people in Buncombe County, North Carolina, at 649 m (2,129 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:42 AM and sets at 6:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:15 PM – 7:06 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 | 7:40 AM | 8:18 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:42 AM | 8:16 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:37 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Asheville
At Asheville 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 Asheville
240 photo locations lie within 80 km of Asheville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Asheville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Natural Bridge, about 130 km (81 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Pound Gap | Mountain Pass | 173 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Carr Creek State Park | State Park | 186 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Clinchfield Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| The Towers Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| The Breaks Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| State Line Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 189 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Breaks Interstate Park | State Park | 190 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:23 AM – 6:13 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:26 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:31 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:54 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:55 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:21 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.