Hickory is a city of about 40,374 people in Catawba County, North Carolina, at 350 m (1,148 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:37 AM and sets at 6:45 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:10 PM – 7:01 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 | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 45m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hickory
At Hickory 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Hickory
114 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hickory. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hickory is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is The Towers Overlook, about 192 km (120 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Towers Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 192 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Clinchfield Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 193 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 193 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| The Breaks Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 193 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Breaks Interstate Park | State Park | 194 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| State Line Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 194 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Pound Gap | Mountain Pass | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Mercers Saltworks | Ghost Town | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:18 AM – 6:08 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:34 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:12 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:50 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:50 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:46 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July 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.