Potomac is a city of about 44,965 people in Montgomery County, Maryland, at 110 m (361 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 44m |
| February | 7:01 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 | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 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 | 7:57 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 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 Potomac
At 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 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Potomac
122 photo locations lie within 80 km of Potomac. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Scenic ViewpointWaterfalls
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The sky over central Potomac is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 199 km (123 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 | 199 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 104 km (65 mi) | 3 |
| Pinnacle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 106 km (66 mi) | 3 |
| Jewell Hollow Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 107 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Cacapon Resort State Park | State Park | 108 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Old Rag Mountain | Mountain Peak | 109 km (68 mi) | 3 |
| Stony Man Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 110 km (68 mi) | 3 |
| Hemlock Springs Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 110 km (69 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.