Vancouver is a city of about 196,442 people in Clark County, Washington, at 52 m (171 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:34 AM and sets at 6:18 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 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 | 4:06 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:17 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 | 6:24 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 41m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:56 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 43m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Vancouver
At Vancouver 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 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
Best photo spots near Vancouver
191 photo locations lie within 80 km of Vancouver. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Beaches
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BeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Vancouver is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Tygh Grade Summit, about 123 km (76 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 | 123 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Jefferson Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Jefferson | Mountain Peak | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| White River Falls | Waterfall | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Celestial Falls | Waterfall | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| White River Falls State Park | State Park | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Gooch Falls | Waterfall | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Sherars Falls | Waterfall | 133 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:17 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:17 AM – 4:27 AM | 1.2 | 14° |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| June | 11:43 PM – 2:33 AM | 2.8 | 15° |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.0 | 15° |
| August | 10:18 PM – 11:18 PM | 1.0 | 14° |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:16 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.