Florence is a city of about 38,228 people in Florence County, South Carolina. Today the sun rises at 7:29 AM and sets at 6:40 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:06 PM – 6:56 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:29 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 6:08 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Florence
At Florence 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Florence
9 photo locations lie within 80 km of Florence. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Florence is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Georgetown Light, about 121 km (75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgetown Light | Lighthouse | 121 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Cape Romain Lighthouses | Lighthouse | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Old Cape Romain Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Rivers Bridge State Park | State Park | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Cockers Falls | Waterfall | 32 km (20 mi) | 3 |
| Woods Bay State Park | State Park | 35 km (22 mi) | 3 |
| Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 61 km (38 mi) | 3 |
| Goodale State Park | State Park | 70 km (44 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:57 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:11 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:32 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:18 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:14 PM – 2:54 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:49 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:52 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:49 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 44% 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.