Hilton Head Island is a city of about 40,512 people in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Today the sun rises at 7:31 AM and sets at 6:46 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:13 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 16m |
| February | 7:06 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 03m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:56 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 48m |
| June | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 15m |
| July | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 04m |
| August | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 21m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 31m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 03m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hilton Head Island
At Hilton Head Island the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Hilton Head Island
27 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hilton Head Island. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hilton Head Island is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge, about 90 km (56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbeard Island National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Rivers Bridge State Park | State Park | 102 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Old Cape Romain Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 157 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Cape Romain Lighthouses | Lighthouse | 157 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Georgetown Light | Lighthouse | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Savannah Light | Lighthouse | 28 km (17 mi) | 3 |
| Hunting Island State Park | State Park | 34 km (21 mi) | 3 |
| Hunting Island Light | Lighthouse | 35 km (22 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 4:03 AM – 6:03 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 1:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| May | 11:58 PM – 4:48 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:33 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:09 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 9:38 PM – 1:08 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 11:03 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 8:13 PM – 9:03 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February 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.