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39.2404° N76.8394° W124 mBortle 8New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Columbia, MD

Howard County, Maryland · pop. 99,615

  • Sunrise 7:23 AM
  • Sunset 6:23 PM
  • Bortle 8

Columbia is a city of about 99,615 people in Howard County, Maryland, at 124 m (407 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 6:23 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:46 PM – 6:40 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Columbia

Live
Sunrise
7:23 AM
Sunset
6:23 PM
Golden hour AM
7:06 AM – 7:59 AM
Golden hour PM
5:46 PM – 6:40 PM
Blue hour AM
6:56 AM – 7:06 AM
Blue hour PM
6:40 PM – 6:50 PM
Full darkness
7:52 PM – 5:54 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:34 PM / 1:23 AM
Day length
11h 00m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:26 AM8:07 AM4:28 PM5:09 PM5:38 PM9h 43m
February7:00 AM7:37 AM5:07 PM5:45 PM6:12 PM10h 44m
March7:20 AM7:55 AM6:39 PM7:15 PM7:41 PM11h 55m
April6:31 AM7:07 AM7:09 PM7:45 PM8:13 PM13h 14m
May5:55 AM6:33 AM7:36 PM8:14 PM8:44 PM14h 19m
June5:41 AM6:21 AM7:56 PM8:36 PM9:08 PM14h 55m
July5:54 AM6:33 AM7:55 PM8:34 PM9:05 PM14h 40m
August6:21 AM6:58 AM7:28 PM8:04 PM8:33 PM13h 43m
September6:49 AM7:25 AM6:42 PM7:18 PM7:45 PM12h 28m
October7:18 AM7:54 AM5:54 PM6:30 PM6:57 PM11h 12m
November6:52 AM7:31 AM4:15 PM4:54 PM5:23 PM10h 03m
December7:21 AM8:03 AM4:04 PM4:46 PM5:16 PM9h 25m

Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Columbia

At Columbia the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 27° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Columbia

132 photo locations lie within 80 km of Columbia. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook Park16 km away · Anne Arundel County · 39 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Park Overlook Farm19 km away · Montgomery County · 153 m
Blue Ridge Summit OverlookScenic Viewpoint
Blue Ridge Summit Overlook70 km away · Frederick County · 469 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Red Rock Overlook Regional Park59 km away · Loudoun County · 75 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Bobs Hill Overlook67 km away · Frederick County · 531 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Scenic View Orchards72 km away · Frederick County · 339 m

Waterfalls

Waterfall
Round Falls20 km away · City of Baltimore
Great FallsWaterfall
Great Falls45 km away · Montgomery County · 38 m
Waterfall
Little Falls42 km away · 2 m
Kilgore FallsWaterfall
Kilgore Falls62 km away · Harford County
Waterfall
Wiley Falls56 km away · Harford County · 155 m
Waterfall
Kilgores Rocks61 km away · Harford County · 120 m

State Parks

Patapsco Valley State ParkState Park
Patapsco Valley State Park7.4 km away · Howard County
Patuxent River State ParkState Park
Patuxent River State Park19 km away · Montgomery County
Matthew Henson State ParkState Park
Matthew Henson State Park27 km away · Montgomery County
North Point State ParkState Park
North Point State Park35 km away · Baltimore County
Gunpowder Falls State ParkState Park
Gunpowder Falls State Park35 km away · Baltimore County
Seneca Creek State ParkState Park
Seneca Creek State Park37 km away · Montgomery County

Lakes

Kingman LakeLake
Kingman Lake40 km away · 2 m
Little Seneca LakeLake
Little Seneca Lake41 km away · Montgomery County · 113 m
Culler LakeLake
Culler Lake54 km away · Frederick County · 87 m

Lighthouses

Seven Foot Knoll LightLighthouse
Seven Foot Knoll Light21 km away · City of Baltimore
Lazaretto Point LightLighthouse
Lazaretto Point Light23 km away · City of Baltimore
Fort Carroll LightLighthouse
Fort Carroll Light28 km away · Baltimore County
Lighthouse
Leading Point Light25 km away · City of Baltimore
Lighthouse
Hawkins Point Light27 km away · Anne Arundel County
Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear LightLighthouse
Craighill Channel Upper Range Rear Light33 km away · Baltimore County

Beaches

Tidal Basin Bathing BeachBeach
Tidal Basin Bathing Beach43 km away
Beach
Carr's Beach45 km away · Anne Arundel County
Beach
Gibson Island Beach40 km away · Anne Arundel County
Beach
Wild Rose Shores42 km away · Anne Arundel County
Beach
North Severn Beach42 km away · Anne Arundel County
Beach
Fishing Shore43 km away

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Columbia is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Big Mountain, about 123 km (76 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

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Big MountainMountain Peak123 km (76 mi)3
Cowans Gap State ParkState Park126 km (78 mi)3
Berkeley Springs State ParkState Park127 km (79 mi)3
Cacapon Resort State ParkState Park129 km (80 mi)3
Sidneys KnobMountain Peak129 km (80 mi)3
Fowlers Hollow State ParkState Park131 km (81 mi)3
Burns Valley OverlookScenic Viewpoint133 km (83 mi)3
Bistline Covered BridgeCovered Bridge133 km (83 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February5:14 AM – 5:24 AM0.212°
March4:23 AM – 5:43 AM1.318°
April2:20 AM – 4:50 AM2.522°
May12:22 AM – 4:02 AM3.722°
June10:36 PM – 3:36 AM5.022°
July10:28 PM – 2:08 AM3.722°
August9:44 PM – 12:14 AM2.522°
September8:48 PM – 10:08 PM1.318°
October7:59 PM – 8:09 PM0.212°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (63%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Columbia today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:06 AM – 7:59 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:46 PM – 6:40 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Columbia in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:30 PM and blue hour ends around 6:57 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Columbia?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:38 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:48 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Columbia?
Good options nearby include Overlook Park, Park Overlook Farm, Seven Foot Knoll Light. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Columbia?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 8). Drive to Big Mountain (123 km (76 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Columbia?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (48°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.