Utica is a city of about 61,100 people in Oneida County, New York, at 139 m (456 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:21 AM and sets at 6:12 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:33 PM – 6:29 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 | 7:30 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:37 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Utica
At Utica 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 Utica
57 photo locations lie within 80 km of Utica. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Utica is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is T Lake Falls, about 64 km (40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| T Lake Falls | Waterfall | 64 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Brantingham Lake | Lake | 66 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Limekiln Falls | Waterfall | 68 km (42 mi) | 2 |
| Oxbow Lake | Lake | 72 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Bald Mountain | Mountain Peak | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Fourth Lake | Lake | 78 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Pleasant | Lake | 81 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Number Four Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 84 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:26 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:48 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:00 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:39 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 9:40 PM | 0.8 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (84%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.