Winston-Salem is a city of about 241,218 people in Forsyth County, North Carolina, at 293 m (961 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:40 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:05 PM – 6:56 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 | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:54 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Winston-Salem
At Winston-Salem 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
Best photo spots near Winston-Salem
41 photo locations lie within 80 km of Winston-Salem. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Covered Bridges
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Winston-Salem is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Indian Creek Covered Bridge, about 164 km (102 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Creek Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Mercers Saltworks | Ghost Town | 164 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Harvey Falls | Waterfall | 165 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Creek Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Junta | Ghost Town | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Warford | Ghost Town | 170 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Bull Falls | Waterfall | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Pipestem Resort State Park | State Park | 173 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:14 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:31 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:30 PM – 4:10 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:24 PM – 2:44 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:47 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:47 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:12 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.