Cortland is a city of about 18,907 people in Cortland County, New York, at 344 m (1,129 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 PM – 6:34 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 | 7:33 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:57 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 04m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Cortland
At Cortland 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° (NW) 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 Cortland
77 photo locations lie within 80 km of Cortland. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Cortland is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Southwick Beach State Park, about 130 km (81 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwick Beach State Park | State Park | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Stony Point Light | Lighthouse | 138 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Brantingham Lake | Lake | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Galloo Island Light | Lighthouse | 145 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Leonard Harrison State Park | State Park | 145 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Colton Point State Park | State Park | 146 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Limekiln Falls | Waterfall | 157 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| T Lake Falls | Waterfall | 159 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:38 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:49 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:00 PM – 3:10 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:43 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.