Plano is a city of about 283,558 people in Collin County, Texas, at 203 m (666 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:49 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 | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:38 AM | 8:11 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:58 AM | 7:31 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 51m |
| June | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Plano
At Plano 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 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Plano
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of Plano. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Plano is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Ben Wheeler, about 113 km (70 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Wheeler | Ghost Town | 113 km (70 mi) | 3 |
| Hatsboro | Ghost Town | 121 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Tishomingo National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 129 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Spanish Fort | Ghost Town | 135 km (84 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Whitney State Park | State Park | 136 km (84 mi) | 3 |
| Red River Station | Ghost Town | 140 km (87 mi) | 3 |
| Cheadle Falls | Waterfall | 140 km (87 mi) | 3 |
| Slippery Falls | Waterfall | 143 km (89 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 4:08 AM – 6:08 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 | 9:44 PM – 1:04 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:58 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:07 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.