Salem is a city of about 175,535 people in Marion County, Oregon. Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:20 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:40 PM – 6:39 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 | 7:47 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:44 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 48m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Salem
At Salem the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 22° in winter.
Best photo spots near Salem
145 photo locations lie within 80 km of Salem. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Salem is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cascade Falls, about 95 km (59 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Falls | Waterfall | 95 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Fisher School Bridge | Covered Bridge | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Siuslaw National Forest | National Forest | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Gooch Falls | Waterfall | 97 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| W. B. Nelson State Recreation Site | State Park | 99 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Alsea Bay Historic Interpretive Center | State Park | 100 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Gatch Falls | Waterfall | 101 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Marion Falls | Waterfall | 101 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:15 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.3 | 15° |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| June | 11:34 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.2 | 16° |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| August | 10:15 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.2 | 15° |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:25 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.