El Paso is a city of about 678,815 people in El Paso County, Texas, at 1,133 m (3,717 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 6:29 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:56 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 18m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:18 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 6:01 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 13m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 02m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 33m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 05m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in El Paso
At El Paso 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 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near El Paso
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of El Paso. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Canyons
Mountain Peaks
Ghost Towns
Rock Formations
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central El Paso is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Salt Flat, about 132 km (82 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Flat | Ghost Town | 132 km (82 mi) | 1 |
| Indian Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 152 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Bartlett Peak | Mountain Peak | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Bush Mountain | Mountain Peak | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Guadalupe Peak | Mountain Peak | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| El Capitan | Mountain Peak | 154 km (96 mi) | 1 |
| Tejas Arch | Natural Arch | 157 km (97 mi) | 1 |
| Guadalupe Pass (Texas) | Mountain Pass | 158 km (98 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 1:40 AM – 5:10 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| May | 11:40 PM – 4:30 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 9:53 PM – 4:13 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 9:50 PM – 2:50 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 9:19 PM – 12:49 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:45 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:46 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show May as the clearest month (about 31% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (50%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.