Kannapolis is a city of about 46,144 people in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, at 244 m (801 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:34 AM and sets at 6:42 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:07 PM – 6:58 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 | 7:32 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:44 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 46m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Kannapolis
At Kannapolis 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 Kannapolis
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Kannapolis. 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 ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Kannapolis is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, about 69 km (43 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 69 km (43 mi) | 3 |
| Blood Creek Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 90 km (56 mi) | 3 |
| Great Falls | Waterfall | 104 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Cedar Falls | Waterfall | 105 km (66 mi) | 3 |
| Little Falls | Waterfall | 106 km (66 mi) | 3 |
| Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 107 km (66 mi) | 3 |
| Stone Mountain | Mountain Peak | 108 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Silvervale Falls | Waterfall | 108 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:15 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:30 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:28 PM – 4:18 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:46 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:47 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:43 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 July as the cloudiest (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.