Lancaster is a city of about 38,801 people in Dallas County, Texas, at 159 m (522 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:16 PM – 7:05 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 | 7:30 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 17m |
| July | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 6:52 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 30m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 01m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Lancaster
At Lancaster the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Lancaster
8 photo locations lie within 80 km of Lancaster. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Lancaster is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Whitney State Park, about 93 km (58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Whitney State Park | State Park | 93 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Ben Wheeler | Ghost Town | 100 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Fairfield Lake State Park | State Park | 111 km (69 mi) | 3 |
| Meridian State Park | State Park | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Palestine | Lake | 128 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Duffau | Ghost Town | 132 km (82 mi) | 3 |
| Little Sandy National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 141 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| Thurber | Ghost Town | 156 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 4:07 AM – 6:07 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 12:03 AM – 4:53 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:18 PM – 4:38 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 10:14 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| August | 9:42 PM – 1:02 AM | 3.3 | 29° |
| September | 8:57 PM – 11:07 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:07 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 38% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (57%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.