Memphis is a city of about 633,104 people in Shelby County, Tennessee, at 78 m (256 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:11 AM and sets at 6:20 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:46 PM – 6:36 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 | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:39 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Memphis
At Memphis 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 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Memphis
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Memphis. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
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State ParkBotanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Memphis is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge, about 118 km (74 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 118 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Cache River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 128 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 131 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Charles State Park | State Park | 143 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Tallahatchie National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Martinsburg | Ghost Town | 170 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Great River Road State Park | State Park | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Arkansas Post | State Park | 173 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:48 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 1:52 AM – 4:52 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:57 PM – 4:07 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:04 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:00 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:23 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:34 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:31 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (62%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.