Yakima is a city of about 93,701 people in Yakima County, Washington, at 326 m (1,070 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:27 AM and sets at 6:08 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:26 PM – 6:27 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 | 7:43 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:15 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:56 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:32 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 35m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Yakima
At Yakima the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
Best photo spots near Yakima
37 photo locations lie within 80 km of Yakima. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Canyons
Mountain Peaks
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Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Yakima is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Satus Pass, about 70 km (43 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Satus Pass | Mountain Pass | 70 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Brooks Memorial State Park | State Park | 75 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Tumwater Falls | Waterfall | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Maryhill State Park | State Park | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Biggs Arch | Natural Arch | 109 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Lenore Caves State Park | State Park | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Lenore Lake | Lake | 125 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Cottonwood Canyon State Park | State Park | 125 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:19 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| April | 3:21 AM – 4:21 AM | 1.0 | 14° |
| May | 1:16 AM – 3:06 AM | 1.8 | 15° |
| June | 11:46 PM – 2:16 AM | 2.5 | 15° |
| July | 11:24 PM – 1:04 AM | 1.7 | 15° |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:03 PM | 0.8 | 13° |
| September | 8:59 PM – 8:59 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 29% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.