Waco is a city of about 132,356 people in McLennan County, Texas, at 143 m (469 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:36 AM and sets at 6:52 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:19 PM – 7:07 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 | 7:29 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 19m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 05m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 57m |
| May | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 46m |
| June | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 12m |
| July | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 01m |
| August | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 19m |
| September | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:32 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 26m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 34m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 06m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Waco
At Waco 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 299° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 82° in summer but only 35° in winter.
Best photo spots near Waco
9 photo locations lie within 80 km of Waco. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Waco is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Whitney State Park, about 47 km (29 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Whitney State Park | State Park | 47 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Meridian State Park | State Park | 65 km (40 mi) | 3 |
| Port Sullivan | Ghost Town | 87 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| Duffau | Ghost Town | 102 km (63 mi) | 3 |
| Fairfield Lake State Park | State Park | 105 km (65 mi) | 3 |
| Neches River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 115 km (72 mi) | 3 |
| Fort Boggy State Park | State Park | 117 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Nix | Ghost Town | 126 km (78 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.8 | 18° |
| March | 4:08 AM – 6:08 AM | 2.0 | 26° |
| April | 2:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 4.8 | 30° |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:45 AM | 6.5 | 30° |
| July | 10:12 PM – 3:12 AM | 5.0 | 30° |
| August | 9:41 PM – 1:11 AM | 3.5 | 30° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 11:08 PM | 2.2 | 26° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 9:09 PM | 0.8 | 18° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August 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.