Altoona is a city of about 45,344 people in Blair County, Pennsylvania, at 355 m (1,165 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:30 AM and sets at 6:28 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:50 PM – 6:45 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 | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:20 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 18m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Altoona
At Altoona the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Altoona
68 photo locations lie within 80 km of Altoona. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeNatural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Altoona is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kettle Creek State Park, about 103 km (64 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kettle Creek State Park | State Park | 103 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Sinnemahoning State Park | State Park | 107 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Bucktail State Park Natural Area | State Park | 111 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Hyner Run State Park | State Park | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Sizerville State Park | State Park | 121 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Ole Bull State Park | State Park | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Prouty Place State Park | State Park | 133 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | Dark Sky Place | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:52 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.3 | 21° |
| June | 10:52 PM – 3:32 AM | 4.7 | 21° |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| August | 9:56 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:58 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:06 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 55% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.