Ithaca is a city of about 30,788 people in Tompkins County, New York, at 125 m (410 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:18 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:35 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 | 4:15 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:29 AM | 8:15 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 05m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ithaca
At Ithaca 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 Ithaca
71 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ithaca. 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 Ithaca is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Leonard Harrison State Park, about 114 km (71 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 | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Colton Point State Park | State Park | 115 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Lyman Run State Park | State Park | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Denton Hill State Park | State Park | 133 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | Dark Sky Place | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | State Park | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Patterson State Park | State Park | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Ole Bull State Park | State Park | 142 km (88 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 | 18° |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:01 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:50 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:44 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.