Syracuse is a city of about 144,142 people in Onondaga County, New York, at 121 m (397 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:36 PM – 6:33 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 | 8:18 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:22 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:22 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Syracuse
At Syracuse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Syracuse
70 photo locations lie within 80 km of Syracuse. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State ParkState Park
State Park
State ParkState ParkLakes
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
LakeLighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Syracuse is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Southwick Beach State Park, about 80 km (50 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwick Beach State Park | State Park | 80 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Stony Point Light | Lighthouse | 89 km (55 mi) | 2 |
| Galloo Island Light | Lighthouse | 96 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Brantingham Lake | Lake | 101 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| East Charity Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Number Four Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Tibbetts Point Light | Lighthouse | 118 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Elmer Falls | Waterfall | 120 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:50 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:52 AM – 3:32 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:53 PM – 1:43 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:58 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:54 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.8 | 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 January as the cloudiest (86%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.