Saco is a city of about 19,078 people in York County, Maine. Today the sun rises at 7:02 AM and sets at 5:52 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:13 PM – 6:10 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:45 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:15 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:07 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 58m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Saco
At Saco the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Saco
103 photo locations lie within 80 km of Saco. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Saco is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Garfield Falls, about 179 km (111 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield Falls | Waterfall | 179 km (111 mi) | 1 |
| Big Falls | Waterfall | 179 km (111 mi) | 1 |
| East Kennebago Mountain | Mountain Peak | 181 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Bigelow | Mountain Peak | 183 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Flagstaff | Ghost Town | 186 km (115 mi) | 1 |
| Parmachenee Lake | Lake | 188 km (117 mi) | 1 |
| Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 189 km (117 mi) | 1 |
| Great Duck Island Light | Lighthouse | 190 km (118 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:09 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:12 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:46 PM – 2:36 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:14 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:18 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:12 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.