Sandusky is a city of about 25,212 people in Erie County, Ohio, at 181 m (594 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:49 AM and sets at 6:44 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:06 PM – 7:01 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 | 7:56 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:44 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:57 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:43 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:51 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 12m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sandusky
At Sandusky the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sandusky
40 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sandusky. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
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Covered BridgeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sandusky is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Helmick Covered Bridge, about 134 km (83 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helmick Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 134 km (83 mi) | 3 |
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | 140 km (87 mi) | 3 |
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | 142 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| Lake Erie | Lake | 167 km (104 mi) | 3 |
| Indian Camp Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 173 km (108 mi) | 3 |
| Salt Creek Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 177 km (110 mi) | 3 |
| Salt Fork State Park | State Park | 181 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Pymatuning State Park | State Park | 185 km (115 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:00 AM – 6:00 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 3:01 AM – 5:01 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:59 AM – 4:09 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| June | 11:17 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 11:07 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| August | 10:17 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
| October | 8:24 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 62% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.