Chattanooga is a city of about 181,099 people in Hamilton County, Tennessee, at 206 m (676 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:52 AM and sets at 7:01 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:27 PM – 7:17 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 | 7:50 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:53 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:38 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:48 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Chattanooga
At Chattanooga 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 78° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Chattanooga
218 photo locations lie within 80 km of Chattanooga. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Chattanooga is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lookout Point, about 151 km (94 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Northrup Falls | Waterfall | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Magendanz Falls | Waterfall | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park | State Park | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Pickett State Park Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 171 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park | Dark Sky Place | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park | State Park | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:19 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.7 | 15° |
| March | 4:33 AM – 6:23 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:57 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:44 PM – 4:34 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:39 PM – 3:09 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 10:04 PM – 1:14 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 9:15 PM – 11:05 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:32 PM – 9:12 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.