Huntsville is a city of about 40,938 people in Walker County, Texas, at 113 m (371 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:29 AM and sets at 6:47 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:14 PM – 7:02 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 | 7:57 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 22m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 07m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:28 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 42m |
| June | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 07m |
| July | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 57m |
| August | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 16m |
| September | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 37m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 10m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Huntsville
At Huntsville 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 Huntsville
10 photo locations lie within 80 km of Huntsville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Huntsville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Upland Island Wilderness, about 120 km (75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upland Island Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 120 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Sam Rayburn Reservoir | Lake | 143 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Mission Dolores State Historic Site | State Park | 163 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Toledo Bend Reservoir | Lake | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| South Toledo Bend State Park | State Park | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| North Toledo Bend State Park | State Park | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Antioch | Ghost Town | 41 km (25 mi) | 3 |
| Sumpter | Ghost Town | 59 km (37 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:51 AM – 6:11 AM | 2.3 | 27° |
| April | 1:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 11:52 PM – 4:52 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| June | 10:05 PM – 4:35 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 10:02 PM – 3:12 AM | 5.2 | 30° |
| August | 9:33 PM – 1:13 AM | 3.7 | 30° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.3 | 27° |
| October | 8:12 PM – 9:12 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% 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.