Medford is a city of about 79,805 people in Jackson County, Oregon, at 421 m (1,381 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:31 AM and sets at 6:23 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:44 PM – 6:41 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 | 8:22 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:18 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:03 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Medford
At Medford the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Medford
68 photo locations lie within 80 km of Medford. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Medford is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Preston Peak, about 82 km (51 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preston Peak | Mountain Peak | 82 km (51 mi) | 1 |
| Wilderness Falls | Waterfall | 86 km (54 mi) | 1 |
| Klamath National Forest | National Forest | 92 km (57 mi) | 1 |
| Plaikni Falls | Waterfall | 94 km (58 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Scott | Mountain Peak | 97 km (60 mi) | 1 |
| Marble Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 97 km (61 mi) | 1 |
| Siskiyou Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 102 km (63 mi) | 1 |
| Timber Crater | Volcano | 104 km (65 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:54 AM – 3:44 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:05 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:54 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:52 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:49 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.