Welfare is a ghost town in Kendall County, Texas. The nearest town is Comfort, about 12.5 km (7.8 mi) away (Welfare lies ESE of town).
Welfare is an unincorporated community 4 miles (6 km) southeast of Waring on the Waring-Welfare Road in west-central Kendall County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The school was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 2000.From the Wikipedia article “Welfare, Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Welfare the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 84° in summer but only 37° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:36 AM | 62° ENE | 8:40 PM | 298° WNW | 84° | 14h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 60° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 117° ESE | 5:41 PM | 243° WSW | 37° | 10h 13m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:23 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 26m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 09m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 54m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 39m |
| June | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 04m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 53m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 14m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 21m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 28m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 39m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 14m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Welfare, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 31° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| February | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 18° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:03 AM – 6:23 AM | 2.3 | 28° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 3.5 | 31° | SE → S |
| May | 12:03 AM – 5:03 AM | 5.0 | 31° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:15 PM – 4:55 AM | 6.7 | 31° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 31° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 1:24 AM | 3.7 | 31° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 11:22 PM | 2.3 | 28° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 9:25 PM | 1.0 | 20° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.18 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 41% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 84 | 95 | 95 | 103 | 105 | 109 | 110 | 112 | 108 | 99 | 90 | 84 |
| Low °F | 20 | 18 | 22 | 34 | 43 | 61 | 64 | 65 | 51 | 34 | 25 | 23 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Welfare, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Welfare?
What time is golden hour at Welfare?
Where does the sun rise and set at Welfare?
Can you see the Milky Way from Welfare?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Welfare?
How far is Welfare from Comfort?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.