Rochester is a city of about 209,802 people in Monroe County, New York, at 154 m (505 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:31 AM and sets at 6:21 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:42 PM – 6:39 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 | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:48 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:22 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rochester
At Rochester the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rochester
45 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rochester. 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 Rochester is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Ontario, about 75 km (47 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Ontario | Lake | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Galloo Island Light | Lighthouse | 125 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Stony Point Light | Lighthouse | 131 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Southwick Beach State Park | State Park | 133 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| East Charity Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 134 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Tibbetts Point Light | Lighthouse | 145 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Cape Vincent Light | Lighthouse | 149 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Denton Hill State Park | State Park | 155 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:56 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:02 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:50 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:04 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:39 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 69% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (86%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.