Golden hour in Cotonou — any date#
Golden & blue hour times in Cotonou, next 12 months#
Local time (Africa/Porto-Novo), including daylight-saving changes. Golden hour = sun between −4° and +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.
| Date | Blue hour (am) | Golden hour (am) | Sunrise / sunset | Golden hour (pm) | Blue hour (pm) | Day length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 01 | 06:17–06:25 | 06:25–07:05 | 06:38 / 18:41 | 18:14–18:54 | 18:54–19:02 | 12 h 04 min |
| Oct 15 | 06:15–06:23 | 06:23–07:04 | 06:36 / 18:35 | 18:07–18:48 | 18:48–18:56 | 11 h 59 min |
| Nov 01 | 06:15–06:23 | 06:23–07:05 | 06:36 / 18:30 | 18:02–18:43 | 18:43–18:52 | 11 h 54 min |
| Nov 15 | 06:17–06:26 | 06:26–07:08 | 06:39 / 18:29 | 18:00–18:43 | 18:43–18:51 | 11 h 50 min |
| Dec 01 | 06:23–06:32 | 06:32–07:15 | 06:45 / 18:32 | 18:03–18:46 | 18:46–18:55 | 11 h 47 min |
| Dec 15 | 06:30–06:38 | 06:38–07:22 | 06:52 / 18:38 | 18:08–18:52 | 18:52–19:00 | 11 h 46 min |
| Jan 01 | 06:38–06:47 | 06:47–07:30 | 07:00 / 18:46 | 18:16–19:00 | 19:00–19:09 | 11 h 46 min |
| Jan 15 | 06:43–06:52 | 06:52–07:35 | 07:05 / 18:53 | 18:23–19:07 | 19:07–19:15 | 11 h 48 min |
| Feb 01 | 06:46–06:54 | 06:54–07:37 | 07:08 / 18:59 | 18:30–19:12 | 19:12–19:21 | 11 h 51 min |
| Feb 15 | 06:45–06:53 | 06:53–07:35 | 07:06 / 19:02 | 18:33–19:15 | 19:15–19:23 | 11 h 55 min |
| Mar 01 | 06:41–06:49 | 06:49–07:30 | 07:02 / 19:02 | 18:34–19:15 | 19:15–19:23 | 12 h 00 min |
| Mar 15 | 06:36–06:44 | 06:44–07:24 | 06:56 / 19:01 | 18:34–19:14 | 19:14–19:22 | 12 h 05 min |
| Apr 01 | 06:28–06:36 | 06:36–07:16 | 06:48 / 18:59 | 18:32–19:12 | 19:12–19:20 | 12 h 11 min |
| Apr 15 | 06:21–06:29 | 06:29–07:10 | 06:42 / 18:58 | 18:30–19:11 | 19:11–19:19 | 12 h 16 min |
| May 01 | 06:15–06:23 | 06:23–07:05 | 06:37 / 18:57 | 18:29–19:11 | 19:11–19:19 | 12 h 21 min |
| May 15 | 06:12–06:20 | 06:20–07:03 | 06:34 / 18:59 | 18:29–19:12 | 19:12–19:21 | 12 h 25 min |
| Jun 01 | 06:11–06:20 | 06:20–07:03 | 06:34 / 19:02 | 18:32–19:16 | 19:16–19:24 | 12 h 28 min |
| Jun 15 | 06:13–06:22 | 06:22–07:05 | 06:36 / 19:05 | 18:35–19:19 | 19:19–19:28 | 12 h 29 min |
| Jul 01 | 06:16–06:25 | 06:25–07:09 | 06:39 / 19:08 | 18:38–19:22 | 19:22–19:31 | 12 h 29 min |
| Jul 15 | 06:20–06:28 | 06:28–07:12 | 06:42 / 19:10 | 18:40–19:23 | 19:23–19:32 | 12 h 27 min |
| Aug 01 | 06:22–06:31 | 06:31–07:13 | 06:44 / 19:08 | 18:39–19:21 | 19:21–19:30 | 12 h 24 min |
| Aug 15 | 06:23–06:31 | 06:31–07:13 | 06:45 / 19:04 | 18:36–19:17 | 19:17–19:26 | 12 h 20 min |
| Sep 01 | 06:22–06:30 | 06:30–07:11 | 06:43 / 18:57 | 18:29–19:10 | 19:10–19:18 | 12 h 14 min |
| Sep 15 | 06:20–06:28 | 06:28–07:08 | 06:40 / 18:50 | 18:22–19:02 | 19:02–19:11 | 12 h 09 min |
Light through the year#
Photography light in Cotonou#
The longest day in the table is around June 15 (12 h 29 min) and the shortest around December 15 (11 h 46 min).
Each golden hour lasts about 40 min near March and up to 44 min near December. At 6.4° N the sun sets at a steep angle, so golden hour is short — be in position early.
Solar noon today is at 12:39 when the sun reaches 80° above the horizon. Midday light is harsh — plan portraits for the golden hours or open shade.
Nearby cities#
- Porto-Novo 25 km
- Lagos 108 km
- Lomé 135 km
- Ibadan 199 km
- Accra 303 km
- Benin City 354 km
- Kumasi 448 km
- Onitsha 483 km
- Port Harcourt 538 km
- Abuja 634 km
- Abidjan 719 km
- Abobo 719 km
More cities in Benin#
Plan the shoot#
Frequently asked questions#
When is golden hour in Cotonou today?
Morning: 06:25–07:05; evening: 18:13–18:53 (Africa/Porto-Novo).
When is blue hour in Cotonou?
Today: 06:17–06:25 in the morning and 18:53–19:01 in the evening.
What time is sunset in Cotonou today?
18:40 local time; sunrise was at 06:37.
How long is golden hour in Cotonou?
Between 40 min and 44 min per session depending on the season.
Sources & licences#
- GeoNames (city coordinates & time zones) — CC BY 4.0
- NOAA solar calculator algorithm — Public domain
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources