Rock Hill is a city of about 71,548 people in York County, South Carolina, at 207 m (679 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:44 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:10 PM – 7:00 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 | 7:32 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:25 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rock Hill
At Rock Hill the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (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 Rock Hill
15 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rock Hill. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rock Hill is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Great Falls, about 41 km (25 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls | Waterfall | 41 km (25 mi) | 3 |
| Cedar Falls | Waterfall | 53 km (33 mi) | 3 |
| Rose Hill Plantation State Historic Site | State Park | 68 km (43 mi) | 3 |
| Hendricks Falls | Waterfall | 70 km (43 mi) | 3 |
| Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 82 km (51 mi) | 3 |
| Musgrove Mill State Historic Site | State Park | 84 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Gordons Mill Falls | Waterfall | 84 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Goodale State Park | State Park | 85 km (53 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.7 | 15° |
| March | 4:16 AM – 6:06 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:27 PM – 4:17 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:57 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:48 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:55 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.