Orchards is a city of about 19,556 people in Clark County, Washington, at 70 m (230 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:34 AM and sets at 6:17 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:36 PM – 6:36 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 | 7:48 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 42m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Orchards
At Orchards the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
Best photo spots near Orchards
213 photo locations lie within 80 km of Orchards. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State ParkLakes
LakeLighthouses
Beaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Orchards is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Tygh Grade Summit, about 116 km (72 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tygh Grade Summit | Mountain Pass | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| White River Falls | Waterfall | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Celestial Falls | Waterfall | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| White River Falls State Park | State Park | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Jefferson Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 125 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Jefferson | Mountain Peak | 125 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Sherars Falls | Waterfall | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Gooch Falls | Waterfall | 131 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:16 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:16 AM – 4:26 AM | 1.2 | 14° |
| May | 1:17 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| June | 11:42 PM – 2:32 AM | 2.8 | 15° |
| July | 11:23 PM – 1:23 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:17 PM | 1.0 | 14° |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:15 PM | 0.2 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
