Sanford is a city of about 20,893 people in York County, Maine, at 92 m (302 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:04 AM and sets at 5:53 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:14 PM – 6:11 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 | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:57 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:20 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 59m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sanford
At Sanford the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (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 Sanford
120 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sanford. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
LakeLighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sanford is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Garfield Falls, about 180 km (112 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 | 180 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| Big Falls | Waterfall | 183 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 187 km (116 mi) | 1 |
| East Kennebago Mountain | Mountain Peak | 188 km (117 mi) | 1 |
| Parmachenee Lake | Lake | 191 km (119 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Bigelow | Mountain Peak | 194 km (120 mi) | 1 |
| Little Boy Falls | Waterfall | 195 km (121 mi) | 1 |
| Flagstaff | Ghost Town | 196 km (122 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:10 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:13 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:37 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:15 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:19 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:33 PM – 9:13 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.