Raleigh is a city of about 482,295 people in Wake County, North Carolina, at 96 m (315 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:34 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:59 PM – 6:50 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:42 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 45m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Raleigh
At Raleigh 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 Raleigh
18 photo locations lie within 80 km of Raleigh. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Raleigh is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Island View Shores, about 179 km (111 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 | 179 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Norflick Shore | Beach | 183 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Pungo Lake | Lake | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Bible Shore | Beach | 191 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Pettigrew State Park | State Park | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Kerr Lake State Recreation Area | State Park | 79 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Warren County Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 82 km (51 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:24 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:22 PM – 4:02 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:37 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:40 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:36 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.