Wilmington is a city of about 115,933 people in New Hanover County, North Carolina. Today the sun rises at 7:22 AM and sets at 6:33 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:59 PM – 6:48 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:56 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Wilmington
At Wilmington the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Wilmington
26 photo locations lie within 80 km of Wilmington. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkLighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
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Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Wilmington is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Frying Pan Shoals Light, about 90 km (56 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frying Pan Shoals Light | Lighthouse | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Cape Lookout Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Bare Sand Beach | Beach | 143 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Georgetown Light | Lighthouse | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Island View Shores | Beach | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Old House Beach | Beach | 176 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:50 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 2:02 AM – 5:12 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 12:05 AM – 4:25 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:11 PM – 4:11 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 10:07 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:42 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:45 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:42 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.