South Portland Gardens is a city of about 23,893 people in Cumberland County, Maine. Today the sun rises at 7:02 AM and sets at 5:51 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:12 PM – 6:09 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 | 3:45 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 5:00 AM | 5:44 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:56 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:21 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:48 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:56 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:39 PM | 8h 57m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in South Portland Gardens
At South Portland Gardens 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 South Portland Gardens
97 photo locations lie within 80 km of South Portland Gardens. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State ParkLakes
Lake
LakeLighthouses
Beaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central South Portland Gardens is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is East Kennebago Mountain, about 166 km (103 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Kennebago Mountain | Mountain Peak | 166 km (103 mi) | 1 |
| Big Falls | Waterfall | 167 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Mount Bigelow | Mountain Peak | 168 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Garfield Falls | Waterfall | 168 km (104 mi) | 1 |
| Flagstaff | Ghost Town | 169 km (105 mi) | 1 |
| Great Duck Island Light | Lighthouse | 175 km (109 mi) | 1 |
| Parmachenee Lake | Lake | 176 km (109 mi) | 1 |
| Long Falls | Waterfall | 177 km (110 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:09 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:03 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.7 | 17° |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:15 AM | 2.7 | 17° |
| August | 9:38 PM – 11:08 PM | 1.5 | 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.