Cottonwood Heights is a city of about 34,343 people in Salt Lake County, Utah, at 1,470 m (4,823 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:44 AM and sets at 6:41 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:03 PM – 6:58 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 | 7:50 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:57 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:18 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time in America/Denver, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Cottonwood Heights
At Cottonwood Heights the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Cottonwood Heights
93 photo locations lie within 80 km of Cottonwood Heights. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Cottonwood Heights is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Woodside, about 195 km (121 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodside | Ghost Town | 195 km (121 mi) | 1 |
| Bottleneck Peak and Moon | Mountain Peak | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Chandler Falls | Waterfall | 199 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Ibapah Peak | Mountain Peak | 200 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| Colton | Ghost Town | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| High Uintas Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 111 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Winter Quarters | Ghost Town | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Sanpete Valley Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 119 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:54 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:49 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.3 | 21° |
| June | 11:05 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.7 | 21° |
| July | 10:56 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| August | 10:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 9:10 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.