Monroe is a city of about 34,623 people in Union County, North Carolina, at 180 m (591 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:42 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:08 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 | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 6:09 AM | 6:46 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:43 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:29 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Monroe
At Monroe 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 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Monroe
18 photo locations lie within 80 km of Monroe. 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
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Monroe is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge, about 47 km (29 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 | 47 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Cedar Falls | Waterfall | 51 km (32 mi) | 3 |
| Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 53 km (33 mi) | 3 |
| Great Falls | Waterfall | 54 km (34 mi) | 3 |
| Goodale State Park | State Park | 78 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| Cockers Falls | Waterfall | 89 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Hendricks Falls | Waterfall | 110 km (68 mi) | 3 |
| Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site | State Park | 110 km (69 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.7 | 15° |
| March | 4:14 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:18 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:25 PM – 4:15 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:50 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:55 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:56 PM – 10:46 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:53 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.