Downtown DC is a city of about 52,560 people in District of Columbia, District of Columbia. Today the sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 6:24 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:48 PM – 6:41 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 | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 28m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Downtown DC
At Downtown DC the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Downtown DC
114 photo locations lie within 80 km of Downtown DC. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeaches
Beach
BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Downtown DC is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Point Lookout State Park, about 110 km (68 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Lookout State Park | State Park | 110 km (68 mi) | 3 |
| Point Lookout Light | Lighthouse | 113 km (70 mi) | 3 |
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 115 km (72 mi) | 3 |
| Pinnacle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 117 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Clay Island Light | Lighthouse | 117 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Jewell Hollow Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Sharkfin Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Old Rag Mountain | Mountain Peak | 119 km (74 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:35 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:10 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.