Austin is a city of about 974,447 people in Travis County, Texas, at 149 m (489 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:37 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:23 PM – 7:11 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 | 7:29 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 24m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:42 AM | 8:13 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:27 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 41m |
| June | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 55m |
| August | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:02 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 38m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 12m |
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 Austin
At Austin the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
Best photo spots near Austin
34 photo locations lie within 80 km of Austin. 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 Austin is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is The Falls, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Falls | Waterfall | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Spy Rock | Mountain Peak | 152 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| South Llano River State Park | Dark Sky Place | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Inks Lake State Park | State Park | 79 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Albert | Ghost Town | 83 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Wonder Cave | Cave | 84 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Buchanan | Lake | 84 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Lyndon B. Johnson State Park and Historic Site | State Park | 85 km (53 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:59 AM – 6:19 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 2:02 AM – 5:32 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:59 PM – 4:59 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 10:12 PM – 4:52 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 10:09 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 1:20 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:59 PM – 11:19 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:21 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.