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42.4184° N71.1062° W5 mBortle 9New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Medford, MA

Middlesex County, Massachusetts · pop. 57,403

  • Sunrise 7:04 AM
  • Sunset 5:56 PM
  • Bortle 9

Medford is a city of about 57,403 people in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Today the sun rises at 7:04 AM and sets at 5:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:17 PM – 6:14 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Medford

Live
Sunrise
7:04 AM
Sunset
5:56 PM
Golden hour AM
6:46 AM – 7:42 AM
Golden hour PM
5:17 PM – 6:14 PM
Blue hour AM
6:35 AM – 6:46 AM
Blue hour PM
6:14 PM – 6:25 PM
Full darkness
7:30 PM – 5:31 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:16 PM / 12:52 AM
Day length
10h 52m
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
January7:12 AM7:56 AM3:53 PM4:37 PM5:08 PM9h 25m
February6:42 AM7:22 AM4:37 PM5:17 PM5:46 PM10h 35m
March6:57 AM7:35 AM6:14 PM6:51 PM7:19 PM11h 54m
April6:04 AM6:42 AM6:48 PM7:26 PM7:55 PM13h 22m
May5:24 AM6:04 AM7:19 PM8:00 PM8:32 PM14h 36m
June5:08 AM5:50 AM7:41 PM8:24 PM8:59 PM15h 16m
July5:21 AM6:03 AM7:39 PM8:21 PM8:54 PM14h 59m
August5:52 AM6:31 AM7:09 PM7:47 PM8:18 PM13h 55m
September6:25 AM7:02 AM6:19 PM6:56 PM7:24 PM12h 31m
October6:58 AM7:36 AM5:26 PM6:04 PM6:32 PM11h 06m
November6:36 AM7:18 AM3:42 PM4:24 PM4:54 PM9h 48m
December7:08 AM7:53 AM3:28 PM4:13 PM4:45 PM9h 06m

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

Where the sun rises and sets in Medford

At Medford 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Medford

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

Scenic Viewpoints

Waterfalls

State Parks

Lakes

Lighthouses

Beaches

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Medford is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Great Point Light, about 144 km (89 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

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Great Point LightLighthouse144 km (89 mi)3
Townshend State ParkState Park147 km (91 mi)3
Scott Covered BridgeCovered Bridge148 km (92 mi)3
Newfound LakeLake149 km (92 mi)3
Welton FallsWaterfall150 km (93 mi)3
Squam LakeLake151 km (94 mi)3
Mount CardiganMountain Peak152 km (94 mi)3
Cardigan Mountain State ParkState Park152 km (94 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
March4:25 AM – 5:15 AM0.815°
April2:17 AM – 4:17 AM2.018°
May12:28 AM – 3:18 AM2.819°
June10:39 PM – 2:49 AM4.219°
July10:28 PM – 1:28 AM3.019°
August9:35 PM – 11:25 PM1.818°
September8:32 PM – 9:22 PM0.815°

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Medford today?
Today the morning golden hour is 6:46 AM – 7:42 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:17 PM – 6:14 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Medford in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:04 PM and blue hour ends around 6:32 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Medford?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:26 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:15 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Medford?
Good options nearby include Fresh Pond (Cambridge, Massachusetts), Ell Pond, Sawins pond. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Medford?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 9). Drive to Great Point Light (144 km (89 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Medford?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (52°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.