Midland is a city of about 132,524 people in Midland County, Texas, at 848 m (2,782 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:56 AM and sets at 7:11 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:38 PM – 7:27 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 | 7:50 AM | 8:26 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 17m |
| February | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 04m |
| March | 7:59 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:21 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:43 PM | 12h 58m |
| May | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 47m |
| June | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:21 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 14m |
| July | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:21 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 03m |
| August | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:34 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 20m |
| September | 7:33 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:52 AM | 8:25 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 25m |
| November | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 32m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 04m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Midland
At Midland the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (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 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Midland
3 photo locations lie within 80 km of Midland. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Midland is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Orla, about 174 km (108 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orla | Ghost Town | 174 km (108 mi) | 1 |
| Double Mountain | Mountain Peak | 193 km (120 mi) | 1 |
| Balmorhea State Park | State Park | 200 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| Stiles | Ghost Town | 82 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Mesquite | Ghost Town | 106 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Pyote | Ghost Town | 112 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Llano Estacado | Rock Formation | 112 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Justiceburg | Ghost Town | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 4:28 AM – 6:28 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:53 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| May | 12:22 AM – 5:12 AM | 4.8 | 29° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 4:56 AM | 6.3 | 29° |
| July | 10:33 PM – 3:33 AM | 5.0 | 29° |
| August | 10:02 PM – 1:32 AM | 3.5 | 29° |
| September | 9:18 PM – 11:28 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 8:38 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 32% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (46%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.