Located in City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Sandbridge Beach is a beach. It sits roughly 12.3 km (7.6 mi) SSE of Virginia Beach.
Sandbridge, in the U.S. state of Virginia, is a coastal community of Virginia Beach, located along the coastline on the Currituck Banks Peninsula at the northern end of the Outer Banks. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east, the Back Bay of the Currituck Sound is to the west, and the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park lie to the south. To the north, Sandbridge borders the U.S. Navy's Dam Neck facility. Located near the southern end of Sandbridge is Little Island Park, which is managed by the City of Virginia Beach. Sandbridge Beach runs approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometres) from north to south along the oceanfront.From the Wikipedia article “Sandbridge, Virginia”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sandbridge Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 60° ENE | 8:27 PM | 301° WNW | 77° | 14h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 119° ESE | 4:52 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 38m |
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
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 07m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 40m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Sandbridge Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:52 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.5 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:48 AM | 1.7 | 21° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:00 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:07 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:17 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.55 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 55% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (73%). July 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 | 64 | 65 | 68 | 75 | 84 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 86 | 84 | 73 | 68 |
| Low °F | 23 | 17 | 27 | 38 | 46 | 60 | 68 | 67 | 60 | 47 | 36 | 25 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
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 beach
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Sandbridge, 6.4 km (4.0 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Sandbridge Beach, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
Lighthouse
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sandbridge Beach?
What time is golden hour at Sandbridge Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sandbridge Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sandbridge Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sandbridge Beach?
How far is Sandbridge Beach from Virginia Beach?
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.