Bethesda is a city of about 60,858 people in Montgomery County, Maryland, at 97 m (318 ft). 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 | 8:07 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 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 39m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 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 | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Bethesda
At Bethesda 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 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Bethesda
120 photo locations lie within 80 km of Bethesda. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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The sky over central Bethesda is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hazel Mountain Overlook, about 111 km (69 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 111 km (69 mi) | 3 |
| Pinnacle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 113 km (70 mi) | 3 |
| Jewell Hollow Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 114 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| Old Rag Mountain | Mountain Peak | 116 km (72 mi) | 3 |
| Stony Man Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 117 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Hemlock Springs Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 117 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Thorofare Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Stony Man Mountain | Mountain Peak | 118 km (73 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.