Stillwater is a city of about 48,967 people in Payne County, Oklahoma, at 273 m (896 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:40 AM and sets at 6:47 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:12 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 | 7:39 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 43m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Stillwater
At Stillwater 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 Stillwater
6 photo locations lie within 80 km of Stillwater. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Stillwater is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Whizbang, about 79 km (49 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 | 79 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Osro Falls | Waterfall | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 126 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Butcher Falls | Waterfall | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Gloss Mountain State Park | State Park | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Avard | Ghost Town | 168 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Little Sahara State Park | State Park | 170 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Lime Arch Bridge | Natural Arch | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:21 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:38 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:17 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:54 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:44 PM | 1.7 | 22° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
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.