Columbia is a city of about 142,416 people in Richland County, South Carolina, at 89 m (292 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:34 AM and sets at 6:45 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:11 PM – 7:01 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 | 7:30 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 6:13 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Columbia
At Columbia the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Columbia
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of Columbia. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Mountain Peaks
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Columbia is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Rivers Bridge State Park, about 105 km (65 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivers Bridge State Park | State Park | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Hamburg State Park | State Park | 184 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Old Cape Romain Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Cape Romain Lighthouses | Lighthouse | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Georgetown Light | Lighthouse | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Little Mountain | Mountain Peak | 41 km (25 mi) | 3 |
| Poinsett State Park | State Park | 51 km (31 mi) | 3 |
| Corinth | Ghost Town | 55 km (34 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:15 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 2:13 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:22 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:54 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:57 PM – 10:57 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:14 PM – 8:54 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (58%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.