Elmira is a city of about 28,213 people in Chemung County, New York, at 260 m (853 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:19 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:37 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 | 7:34 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:29 AM | 8:14 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 08m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Elmira
At Elmira 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Elmira
63 photo locations lie within 80 km of Elmira. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Covered BridgeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Elmira is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Leonard Harrison State Park, about 69 km (43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Harrison State Park | State Park | 69 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Colton Point State Park | State Park | 70 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Lyman Run State Park | State Park | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Denton Hill State Park | State Park | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | Dark Sky Place | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | State Park | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Ole Bull State Park | State Park | 97 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Patterson State Park | State Park | 100 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:48 AM – 3:48 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:17 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:47 PM – 1:57 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 9:56 PM – 11:56 PM | 2.0 | 18° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.0 | 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.