Cambridge is a city of about 110,402 people in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Today the sun rises at 7:04 AM and sets at 5:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:18 PM – 6:14 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 | 7:12 AM | 7:55 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:18 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:53 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Cambridge
At Cambridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Cambridge
224 photo locations lie within 80 km of Cambridge. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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BeachBeachBeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Cambridge is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Great Point Light, about 140 km (87 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Point Light | Lighthouse | 140 km (87 mi) | 3 |
| Townshend State Park | State Park | 149 km (93 mi) | 3 |
| Scott Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 150 km (93 mi) | 3 |
| Newfound Lake | Lake | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Sankaty Head Light | Lighthouse | 154 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Welton Falls | Waterfall | 154 km (96 mi) | 3 |
| Squam Lake | Lake | 156 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Mount Cardigan | Mountain Peak | 156 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:17 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:28 AM – 3:18 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:39 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:28 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:35 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:32 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.