McKinney is a city of about 162,898 people in Collin County, Texas, at 192 m (630 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:48 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:15 PM – 7:04 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 | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in McKinney
At McKinney 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 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near McKinney
13 photo locations lie within 80 km of McKinney. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central McKinney is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lime Arch Bridge, about 192 km (120 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lime Arch Bridge | Natural Arch | 192 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Hatsboro | Ghost Town | 101 km (63 mi) | 3 |
| Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 109 km (68 mi) | 3 |
| Ben Wheeler | Ghost Town | 119 km (74 mi) | 3 |
| Cheadle Falls | Waterfall | 120 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Rock Creek Falls | Waterfall | 123 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Big Falls | Waterfall | 123 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Slippery Falls | Waterfall | 123 km (77 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.7 | 17° |
| March | 4:07 AM – 6:07 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 2:04 AM – 5:24 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 12:05 AM – 4:45 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 10:20 PM – 4:30 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 10:16 PM – 3:06 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:43 PM – 1:03 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:58 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 8:16 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
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.