Bend is a city of about 87,014 people in Deschutes County, Oregon, at 1,106 m (3,629 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:27 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:35 PM – 6:33 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 | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:20 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:01 AM | 7:45 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Bend
At Bend the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Bend
120 photo locations lie within 80 km of Bend. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Bend is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Viewpoint Waterhole, about 74 km (46 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viewpoint Waterhole | Scenic Viewpoint | 74 km (46 mi) | 1 |
| Fort Rock Cave | Cave | 78 km (48 mi) | 1 |
| Fort Rock | Volcano | 79 km (49 mi) | 1 |
| Lower Falls | Waterfall | 94 km (59 mi) | 1 |
| Crack in the Ground | Volcano | 97 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Upper Falls | Waterfall | 99 km (62 mi) | 1 |
| Fossil Lake | Lake | 105 km (65 mi) | 1 |
| Christmas Valley Sand Dunes | Sand Dunes | 109 km (68 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:29 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 11:15 PM – 2:55 AM | 3.7 | 17° |
| July | 11:01 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 10:03 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 8:56 PM – 9:26 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 24% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.