North Potomac is a city of about 24,410 people in Montgomery County, Maryland, at 79 m (259 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 | 7:27 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 | 5:47 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 | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:57 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 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 | 7:32 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 North Potomac
At North Potomac 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 North Potomac
122 photo locations lie within 80 km of North Potomac. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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The sky over central North Potomac is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 195 km (121 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 | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Blackwater Canyon | Canyon | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Mill Run | Ghost Town | 197 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Cacapon Resort State Park | State Park | 101 km (63 mi) | 3 |
| Berkeley Springs State Park | State Park | 103 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 103 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Pinnacle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 105 km (65 mi) | 3 |
| Caudy's Castle | Rock Formation | 106 km (66 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 | 19° |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| 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.