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41.6718° N72.9493° W93 mBortle 7New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Bristol, CT

Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut · pop. 60,452

  • Sunrise 7:10 AM
  • Sunset 6:04 PM
  • Bortle 7

Bristol is a city of about 60,452 people in Naugatuck Valley Planning Region, Connecticut, at 93 m (305 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:10 AM and sets at 6:04 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:26 PM – 6:22 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Bristol

Live
Sunrise
7:10 AM
Sunset
6:04 PM
Golden hour AM
6:53 AM – 7:48 AM
Golden hour PM
5:26 PM – 6:22 PM
Blue hour AM
6:42 AM – 6:53 AM
Blue hour PM
6:22 PM – 6:33 PM
Full darkness
7:37 PM – 5:39 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:22 PM / 1:02 AM
Day length
10h 54m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:17 AM8:00 AM4:03 PM4:46 PM5:17 PM9h 29m
February6:48 AM7:27 AM4:47 PM5:25 PM5:54 PM10h 37m
March7:05 AM7:41 AM6:22 PM6:59 PM7:26 PM11h 54m
April6:13 AM6:50 AM6:55 PM7:32 PM8:01 PM13h 20m
May5:33 AM6:13 AM7:25 PM8:05 PM8:37 PM14h 32m
June5:18 AM6:00 AM7:47 PM8:29 PM9:03 PM15h 11m
July5:31 AM6:12 AM7:45 PM8:26 PM8:59 PM14h 55m
August6:01 AM6:39 AM7:15 PM7:53 PM8:23 PM13h 52m
September6:33 AM7:09 AM6:27 PM7:03 PM7:31 PM12h 30m
October7:04 AM7:42 AM5:34 PM6:12 PM6:40 PM11h 08m
November6:42 AM7:23 AM3:52 PM4:33 PM5:03 PM9h 51m
December7:13 AM7:57 AM3:38 PM4:23 PM4:55 PM9h 10m

Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Bristol

At Bristol the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Bristol

226 photo locations lie within 80 km of Bristol. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook Historic District14 km away · Naugatuck Valley Planning Region · 171 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Lookout Point43 km away · Western Connecticut Planning Region · 252 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Lookout Point45 km away · Northwest Hills Planning Region · 182 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook Park51 km away · Western Connecticut Planning Region · 151 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook Drive-In76 km away · Dutchess County · 48 m

Waterfalls

Waterfall
Buttermilk Falls5.6 km away · Naugatuck Valley Planning Region · 215 m
Mill Pond FallsWaterfall
Mill Pond Falls18 km away · Capitol Planning Region
Roaring Brook FallsWaterfall
Roaring Brook Falls21 km away · Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
Wadsworth Falls State ParkWaterfall
Wadsworth Falls State Park27 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
Waterfall
Westfield Falls22 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 42 m
Waterfall
Wadsworth Falls27 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 43 m

State Parks

Black Rock State ParkState Park
Black Rock State Park13 km away · Naugatuck Valley Planning Region
Humaston Brook State ParkState Park
Humaston Brook State Park14 km away · Northwest Hills Planning Region
Horse Guard State ParkState Park
Horse Guard State Park16 km away · Capitol Planning Region
Lamentation Mountain State ParkState Park
Lamentation Mountain State Park19 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region
TopsmeadState Park
Topsmead19 km away · Northwest Hills Planning Region
Whittemore Glen State ParkState Park
Whittemore Glen State Park20 km away · Naugatuck Valley Planning Region

Lakes

Bantam LakeLake
Bantam Lake23 km away · Northwest Hills Planning Region · 272 m
Pameacha PondLake
Pameacha Pond28 km away · Lower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region · 23 m
Lake WaramaugLake
Lake Waramaug34 km away · Northwest Hills Planning Region · 211 m
Candlewood LakeLake
Candlewood Lake47 km away · Western Connecticut Planning Region · 127 m
Wangumbaug LakeLake
Wangumbaug Lake53 km away · Capitol Planning Region · 157 m
Whaley LakeLake
Whaley Lake61 km away · Dutchess County · 215 m

Lighthouses

Five Mile Point LightLighthouse
Five Mile Point Light47 km away · South Central Connecticut Planning Region
Southwest Ledge LightLighthouse
Southwest Ledge Light49 km away
Falkner Island LightLighthouse
Falkner Island Light57 km away
Tongue Point LightLighthouse
Tongue Point Light59 km away · Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
Stratford Point LightLighthouse
Stratford Point Light59 km away · Greater Bridgeport Planning Region
Bridgeport Harbor LightLighthouse
Bridgeport Harbor Light60 km away · Greater Bridgeport Planning Region

Beaches

Walnut BeachBeach
Walnut Beach54 km away · South Central Connecticut Planning Region
McCook Point ParkBeach
McCook Point Park74 km away · Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region
Cedar BeachBeach
Cedar Beach79 km away · Suffolk County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Bristol is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mount Snow, about 143 km (89 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.

Darkest skies within 200 km

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Mount SnowMountain Peak143 km (89 mi)3
Townshend State ParkState Park154 km (96 mi)3
Scott Covered BridgeCovered Bridge154 km (96 mi)3
Chiselville Covered BridgeCovered Bridge156 km (97 mi)3
Stratton MountainMountain Peak157 km (98 mi)3
Stratton Mountain Lookout TowerFire Lookout157 km (98 mi)3
Eagleville BridgeCovered Bridge160 km (99 mi)3
Jamaica State ParkState Park160 km (99 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
March4:22 AM – 5:22 AM1.016°
April2:23 AM – 4:23 AM2.019°
May12:31 AM – 3:31 AM3.019°
June10:40 PM – 3:00 AM4.319°
July10:30 PM – 1:40 AM3.219°
August9:40 PM – 11:40 PM2.019°
September8:38 PM – 9:38 PM1.016°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Bristol today?
Today the morning golden hour is 6:53 AM – 7:48 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:26 PM – 6:22 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Bristol in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:12 PM and blue hour ends around 6:40 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Bristol?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:30 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:25 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Bristol?
Good options nearby include Bradley Mountain, Pinnacle Rock, Rattlesnake Mountain. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Bristol?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Mount Snow (143 km (89 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Bristol?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (51°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.