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Flag of Rockville
39.0840° N77.1528° W137 mBortle 8New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Rockville, MD

Montgomery County, Maryland · pop. 66,980

  • Sunrise 7:24 AM
  • Sunset 6:24 PM
  • Bortle 8

Rockville is a city of about 66,980 people in Montgomery County, Maryland, at 137 m (449 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 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.

Light at Rockville

Live
Sunrise
7:24 AM
Sunset
6:24 PM
Golden hour AM
7:07 AM – 8:00 AM
Golden hour PM
5:48 PM – 6:41 PM
Blue hour AM
6:57 AM – 7:07 AM
Blue hour PM
6:41 PM – 6:51 PM
Full darkness
7:53 PM – 5:56 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:35 PM / 1:25 AM
Day length
11h 01m
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
January7:27 AM8:08 AM4:30 PM5:10 PM5:40 PM9h 43m
February7:01 AM7:38 AM5:09 PM5:46 PM6:14 PM10h 45m
March7:21 AM7:56 AM6:40 PM7:16 PM7:42 PM11h 55m
April6:33 AM7:08 AM7:10 PM7:46 PM8:13 PM13h 13m
May5:57 AM6:35 AM7:37 PM8:15 PM8:45 PM14h 18m
June5:43 AM6:23 AM7:57 PM8:37 PM9:09 PM14h 54m
July5:56 AM6:35 AM7:56 PM8:35 PM9:06 PM14h 39m
August6:23 AM6:59 AM7:29 PM8:05 PM8:34 PM13h 43m
September6:51 AM7:26 AM6:44 PM7:19 PM7:46 PM12h 28m
October7:19 AM7:55 AM5:55 PM6:31 PM6:58 PM11h 13m
November6:52 AM7:32 AM4:16 PM4:56 PM5:24 PM10h 03m
December7:21 AM8:03 AM4:06 PM4:48 PM5:18 PM9h 26m

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

Where the sun rises and sets in Rockville

At Rockville 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Rockville

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

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Park Overlook Farm17 km away · Montgomery County · 153 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Red Rock Overlook Regional Park31 km away · Loudoun County · 75 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Hemlock Overlook Regional Park42 km away · Fairfax County · 89 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook Park45 km away · Anne Arundel County · 39 m
Blue Ridge Summit OverlookScenic Viewpoint
Blue Ridge Summit Overlook68 km away · Frederick County · 469 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Maryland Heights56 km away · Jefferson County · 147 m

Waterfalls

Great FallsWaterfall
Great Falls13 km away · Montgomery County · 38 m
Waterfall
Little Falls17 km away · 2 m
Waterfall
Round Falls52 km away · City of Baltimore
Waterfall
The Cascade58 km away · Frederick County · 299 m
Waterfall
Cunningham Falls67 km away · Frederick County · 380 m

State Parks

Matthew Henson State ParkState Park
Matthew Henson State Park7.6 km away · Montgomery County
Seneca Creek State ParkState Park
Seneca Creek State Park11 km away · Montgomery County
Patuxent River State ParkState Park
Patuxent River State Park19 km away · Montgomery County
Patapsco Valley State ParkState Park
Patapsco Valley State Park39 km away · Howard County
Rosaryville State ParkState Park
Rosaryville State Park45 km away · Prince George's County
Mason Neck State ParkState Park
Mason Neck State Park48 km away · Fairfax County

Lakes

Little Seneca LakeLake
Little Seneca Lake18 km away · Montgomery County · 113 m
Kingman LakeLake
Kingman Lake26 km away · 2 m
Culler LakeLake
Culler Lake44 km away · Frederick County · 87 m

Lighthouses

Jones Point LightLighthouse
Jones Point Light34 km away · City of Alexandria
Fort Washington LightLighthouse
Fort Washington Light43 km away · Prince George's County
Seven Foot Knoll LightLighthouse
Seven Foot Knoll Light52 km away · City of Baltimore
Lazaretto Point LightLighthouse
Lazaretto Point Light54 km away · City of Baltimore
Fort Carroll LightLighthouse
Fort Carroll Light56 km away · Baltimore County
Lighthouse
Leading Point Light54 km away · City of Baltimore

Beaches

Tidal Basin Bathing BeachBeach
Tidal Basin Bathing Beach25 km away
Beach
Fishing Shore20 km away
Beach
Carr's Beach61 km away · Anne Arundel County
Beach
Wild Rose Shores56 km away · Anne Arundel County
Beach
Bare Neck Shore59 km away · Anne Arundel County
Beach
North Severn Beach60 km away · Anne Arundel County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Rockville is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cacapon Resort State Park, about 109 km (68 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
Cacapon Resort State ParkState Park109 km (68 mi)3
Berkeley Springs State ParkState Park110 km (69 mi)3
Hazel Mountain OverlookScenic Viewpoint111 km (69 mi)3
Pinnacle OverlookScenic Viewpoint114 km (71 mi)3
Jewell Hollow OverlookScenic Viewpoint115 km (71 mi)3
Caudy's CastleRock Formation115 km (71 mi)3
Old Rag MountainMountain Peak117 km (73 mi)3
Stony Man OverlookScenic Viewpoint117 km (73 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February5:16 AM – 5:26 AM0.212°
March4:25 AM – 5:45 AM1.319°
April2:21 AM – 4:51 AM2.522°
May12:23 AM – 4:03 AM3.722°
June10:36 PM – 3:36 AM5.022°
July10:29 PM – 2:19 AM3.822°
August9:45 PM – 12:15 AM2.522°
September8:50 PM – 10:10 PM1.319°
October8:01 PM – 8:11 PM0.212°

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Rockville today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:07 AM – 8:00 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:48 PM – 6:41 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Rockville in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:31 PM and blue hour ends around 6:58 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Rockville?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:39 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:50 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Rockville?
Good options nearby include Chautauqua Tower, Park Overlook Farm, Little Seneca Lake. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Rockville?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 8). Drive to Cacapon Resort State Park (109 km (68 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Rockville?
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.