Clayton is a city of about 19,304 people in Johnston County, North Carolina, at 104 m (341 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:33 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:59 PM – 6:49 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 | 8:02 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Clayton
At Clayton 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 Clayton
20 photo locations lie within 80 km of Clayton. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Clayton is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Island View Shores, about 161 km (100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island View Shores | Beach | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Norflick Shore | Beach | 165 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Pungo Lake | Lake | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Bible Shore | Beach | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 176 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Pettigrew State Park | State Park | 184 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Bee Tree Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 186 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Swanquarter National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:07 AM – 5:07 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:13 AM – 4:23 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:21 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:36 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:39 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:39 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.