Germantown is a city of about 86,395 people in Montgomery County, Maryland, at 134 m (440 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:25 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 | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 26m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Germantown
At Germantown 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 27° in winter.
Best photo spots near Germantown
124 photo locations lie within 80 km of Germantown. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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The sky over central Germantown is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 196 km (122 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls of Seneca | Waterfall | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Blackwater Canyon | Canyon | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Mill Run | Ghost Town | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Cacapon Resort State Park | State Park | 96 km (60 mi) | 3 |
| Berkeley Springs State Park | State Park | 96 km (60 mi) | 3 |
| Caudy's Castle | Rock Formation | 102 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Big Mountain | Mountain Peak | 104 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 107 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 18° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 18° |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 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 December 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.