Mission Bend is a city of about 36,501 people in Fort Bend County, Texas. Today the sun rises at 7:28 AM and sets at 6:48 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:16 PM – 7:03 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 | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 40m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 15m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Mission Bend
At Mission Bend 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 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
Best photo spots near Mission Bend
13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Mission Bend. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Mission Bend is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Matagorda Island Lighthouse, about 168 km (104 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matagorda Island Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 168 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Sabine Bank Light | Lighthouse | 189 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Aransas National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Upland Island Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 198 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Taiton | Ghost Town | 78 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 93 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Provident City | Ghost Town | 104 km (65 mi) | 3 |
| Big Boggy National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 105 km (65 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 3:51 AM – 6:11 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:50 PM – 5:00 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| June | 10:02 PM – 4:42 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 9:59 PM – 3:19 AM | 5.3 | 31° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:11 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 8:13 PM – 9:13 PM | 1.0 | 20° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 36% 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.