Myrtle Beach is a city of about 31,035 people in Horry County, South Carolina. Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:37 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:03 PM – 6:53 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 | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Myrtle Beach
At Myrtle Beach 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 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Myrtle Beach
19 photo locations lie within 80 km of Myrtle Beach. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkLighthouses
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National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Myrtle Beach is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Georgetown Light, about 59 km (37 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 | 59 km (37 mi) | 2 |
| Cape Romain Lighthouses | Lighthouse | 87 km (54 mi) | 2 |
| Old Cape Romain Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 87 km (54 mi) | 2 |
| Frying Pan Shoals Light | Lighthouse | 123 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Ocean Isle Beach | Beach | 47 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Big Beach | Beach | 55 km (34 mi) | 3 |
| Holden Beach | Beach | 59 km (37 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Waccamaw State Park | State Park | 74 km (46 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 2:05 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:37 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 10:13 PM – 4:13 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:55 AM | 3.3 | 27° |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:48 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:46 PM | 0.7 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (72%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.