Oak Ridge is a city of about 29,302 people in Anderson County, Tennessee, at 259 m (850 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:49 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:21 PM – 7:12 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 | 7:48 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:14 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:49 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:44 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 44m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Oak Ridge
At Oak Ridge 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 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Oak Ridge
61 photo locations lie within 80 km of Oak Ridge. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Natural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Oak Ridge is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Northrup Falls, about 66 km (41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northrup Falls | Waterfall | 66 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Magendanz Falls | Waterfall | 68 km (42 mi) | 2 |
| Twin Arches | Natural Arch | 72 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Bear Creek Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 72 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 73 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Pickett State Park Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park | Dark Sky Place | 77 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Pickett Civilian Conservation Corps Memorial State Park | State Park | 77 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:30 AM – 6:20 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 2:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:46 PM – 4:26 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:40 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 10:03 PM – 1:03 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 9:13 PM – 11:03 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 8:28 PM – 8:58 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.