Ponca City is a city of about 24,758 people in Kay County, Oklahoma, at 308 m (1,010 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:41 AM and sets at 6:47 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:11 PM – 7:03 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 | 7:41 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 56m |
| February | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:36 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 40m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ponca City
At Ponca City 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 301° (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 Ponca City
7 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ponca City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
Botanical Gardens
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ponca City is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Whizbang, about 34 km (21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whizbang | Ghost Town | 34 km (21 mi) | 2 |
| Osro Falls | Waterfall | 69 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Butcher Falls | Waterfall | 88 km (54 mi) | 2 |
| Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 102 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Gloss Mountain State Park | State Park | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Avard | Ghost Town | 152 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Cross Timbers State Park | State Park | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Little Sahara State Park | State Park | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 14° |
| March | 4:32 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.7 | 21° |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:14 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:31 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:41 PM – 4:11 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:35 PM – 2:45 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:46 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:45 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February 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.