Amarillo is a city of about 198,645 people in Potter County, Texas, at 1,118 m (3,668 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:58 AM and sets at 7:07 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:33 PM – 7:23 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 | 7:56 AM | 8:34 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:59 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 7:31 AM | 8:04 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:54 AM | 8:28 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Amarillo
At Amarillo 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 Amarillo
6 photo locations lie within 80 km of Amarillo. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Natural Arches
Canyons
National Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Amarillo is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Glenrio, about 110 km (68 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenrio | Ghost Town | 110 km (68 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 112 km (70 mi) | 1 |
| Caprock Canyons State Park and Trailway | State Park | 112 km (70 mi) | 1 |
| Perico | Ghost Town | 150 km (93 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 160 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Antelope Hills, Oklahoma | Mountain Peak | 192 km (119 mi) | 1 |
| Autograph Rock | Rock Formation | 194 km (120 mi) | 1 |
| Birdwatching at Spring Canyon | Canyon | 61 km (38 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:35 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 4:39 AM – 6:29 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:39 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:44 AM – 4:54 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:51 PM – 4:41 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:47 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 10:10 PM – 1:10 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 9:21 PM – 11:11 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 8:38 PM – 9:18 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.