Wichita Falls is a city of about 104,710 people in Wichita County, Texas, at 289 m (948 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:44 AM and sets at 6:55 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:21 PM – 7:11 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 | 7:40 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Wichita Falls
At Wichita Falls 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 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Wichita Falls
2 photo locations lie within 80 km of Wichita Falls. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Ghost Towns
Rock Formations
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Wichita Falls is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Copper Breaks State Park, about 118 km (73 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Breaks State Park | Dark Sky Place | 118 km (73 mi) | 1 |
| Copper Breaks State Park | State Park | 118 km (73 mi) | 1 |
| Salt Croton Falls | Waterfall | 182 km (113 mi) | 1 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 197 km (122 mi) | 1 |
| Great Plains State Park | State Park | 106 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Fort Griffin | Ghost Town | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Lugert | Ghost Town | 131 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Vinson Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:32 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:28 PM – 3:08 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 1:04 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 9:07 PM – 11:07 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (52%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.