Watertown is a city of about 31,915 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 | 7:56 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:33 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 | 4:14 PM | 4:46 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Watertown
At Watertown 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 Watertown
232 photo locations lie within 80 km of Watertown. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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BeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Watertown 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
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Point Light | Lighthouse | 144 km (89 mi) | 3 |
| Townshend State Park | State Park | 144 km (90 mi) | 3 |
| Scott Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 145 km (90 mi) | 3 |
| Newfound Lake | Lake | 152 km (94 mi) | 3 |
| Welton Falls | Waterfall | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Overlook Trail | Scenic Viewpoint | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Jamaica State Park | State Park | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Mount Cardigan | Mountain Peak | 154 km (96 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 | 12:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:37 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:27 PM – 1:27 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.