Nashville is a city of about 689,447 people in Davidson County, Tennessee, at 170 m (558 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:59 AM and sets at 6:06 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:31 PM – 6:22 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 58m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 43m |
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 Nashville
At Nashville 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
Best photo spots near Nashville
18 photo locations lie within 80 km of Nashville. 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 ParkBotanical Gardens
Natural Arches
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Nashville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cumberland Overlook, about 144 km (89 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 144 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Cordell Hull Birthplace State Park | State Park | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Creelsboro Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 160 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Rock House Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 160 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Seventy Six Falls | Waterfall | 163 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Magendanz Falls | Waterfall | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.5 | 14° |
| March | 3:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.7 | 22° |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 11:48 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 9:57 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 9:52 PM – 2:12 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:14 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.8 | 25° |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.7 | 22° |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% 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.