Universal City is a city of about 19,986 people in Bexar County, Texas, at 233 m (764 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:39 AM and sets at 6:59 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:26 PM – 7:13 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 | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 27m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 10m |
| March | 7:44 AM | 8:15 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 53m |
| May | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 38m |
| June | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 02m |
| July | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 52m |
| August | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 13m |
| September | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:35 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 29m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 41m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 16m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Universal City
At Universal City 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 Universal City
33 photo locations lie within 80 km of Universal City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Universal City is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is The Falls, about 137 km (85 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Falls | Waterfall | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Garner State Park | State Park | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Spy Rock | Mountain Peak | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| South Llano River State Park | Dark Sky Place | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Telegraph | Ghost Town | 178 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Dabney | Ghost Town | 180 km (112 mi) | 2 |
| Skiles Falls | Waterfall | 70 km (43 mi) | 3 |
| Wonder Cave | Cave | 70 km (43 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 19° |
| March | 4:01 AM – 6:21 AM | 2.3 | 28° |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:43 AM | 3.7 | 32° |
| May | 11:59 PM – 5:09 AM | 5.2 | 32° |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:51 AM | 6.7 | 32° |
| July | 10:08 PM – 3:28 AM | 5.3 | 32° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 1:30 AM | 3.8 | 32° |
| September | 9:00 PM – 11:20 PM | 2.3 | 29° |
| October | 8:23 PM – 9:23 PM | 1.0 | 20° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
