The Woodlands is a city of about 93,847 people in Montgomery County, Texas. Today the sun rises at 7:28 AM and sets at 6:47 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:14 PM – 7:02 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 | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 25m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 08m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 40m |
| June | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 05m |
| July | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 54m |
| August | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 15m |
| September | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 13m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in The Woodlands
At The Woodlands 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 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
Best photo spots near The Woodlands
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of The Woodlands. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central The Woodlands is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Upland Island Wilderness, about 148 km (92 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upland Island Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Sam Rayburn Reservoir | Lake | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Sabine Bank Light | Lighthouse | 187 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 69 km (43 mi) | 3 |
| Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | 100 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Antioch | Ghost Town | 104 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Sumpter | Ghost Town | 106 km (66 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Somerville State Park and Trailway | State Park | 111 km (69 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.0 | 19° |
| March | 3:50 AM – 6:10 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 1:53 AM – 5:23 AM | 3.5 | 31° |
| May | 11:50 PM – 4:50 AM | 5.0 | 31° |
| June | 10:03 PM – 4:43 AM | 6.7 | 31° |
| July | 10:00 PM – 3:10 AM | 5.2 | 31° |
| August | 9:31 PM – 1:11 AM | 3.7 | 31° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 11:10 PM | 2.3 | 28° |
| October | 8:12 PM – 9:12 PM | 1.0 | 19° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% 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.