Harlingen is a city of about 65,774 people in Cameron County, Texas. Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:59 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:28 PM – 7:14 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 | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 41m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 17m |
| March | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:03 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:18 PM | 12h 47m |
| May | 6:45 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 26m |
| June | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 46m |
| July | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 38m |
| August | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 04m |
| September | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 19m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 34m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 52m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 31m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Harlingen
At Harlingen the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 87° in summer but only 40° in winter.
Best photo spots near Harlingen
6 photo locations lie within 80 km of Harlingen. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Harlingen is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, about 33 km (20 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 33 km (20 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.2 | 21° |
| March | 3:47 AM – 6:17 AM | 2.5 | 31° |
| April | 1:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 4.0 | 35° |
| May | 11:47 PM – 5:17 AM | 5.5 | 35° |
| June | 9:56 PM – 5:06 AM | 7.2 | 35° |
| July | 9:55 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.7 | 35° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:41 AM | 4.2 | 35° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 11:34 PM | 2.7 | 32° |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:41 PM | 1.3 | 23° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 33% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (67%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.