Galveston is a city of about 50,180 people in Galveston County, Texas. Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:45 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:13 PM – 7:00 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 | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 28m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 52m |
| May | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 37m |
| June | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 01m |
| July | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 51m |
| August | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 12m |
| September | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:14 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 42m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 17m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Galveston
At Galveston 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
Best photo spots near Galveston
10 photo locations lie within 80 km of Galveston. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State Park
State ParkLighthouses
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
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National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Galveston is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sabine Bank Light, about 106 km (66 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine Bank Light | Lighthouse | 106 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Matagorda Island Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 191 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 44 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 72 km (45 mi) | 3 |
| San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 86 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| Sea Rim State Park | State Park | 87 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| Texas Point National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 98 km (61 mi) | 3 |
| Sabine Pass Light | Lighthouse | 103 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:39 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.8 | 19° |
| March | 3:47 AM – 6:07 AM | 2.3 | 29° |
| April | 1:48 AM – 5:28 AM | 3.7 | 32° |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:54 AM | 5.2 | 32° |
| June | 9:56 PM – 4:36 AM | 6.7 | 32° |
| July | 9:53 PM – 3:13 AM | 5.3 | 32° |
| August | 9:26 PM – 1:16 AM | 3.8 | 32° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 11:15 PM | 2.5 | 29° |
| October | 8:09 PM – 9:09 PM | 1.0 | 20° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.