Jacksonville is a city of about 67,357 people in Onslow County, North Carolina. Today the sun rises at 7:20 AM and sets at 6:30 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:56 PM – 6:46 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:08 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:57 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 50m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Jacksonville
At Jacksonville the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Jacksonville
15 photo locations lie within 80 km of Jacksonville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkBeaches
BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Jacksonville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Beach Access Ramp 48, about 177 km (110 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Access Ramp 48 | Beach | 177 km (110 mi) | 1 |
| Beach Access Ramp 44 | Beach | 181 km (113 mi) | 1 |
| Beach Access Ramp 43 | Beach | 181 km (113 mi) | 1 |
| Cape Hatteras Light Station | Lighthouse | 182 km (113 mi) | 1 |
| Cape Hatteras Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 182 km (113 mi) | 1 |
| Diamond Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 199 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| Cape Lookout Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 84 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| Bare Sand Beach | Beach | 87 km (54 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:01 AM – 5:01 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:05 AM – 4:25 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:02 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:42 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:34 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:41 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.