Erie is a city of about 99,475 people in Erie County, Pennsylvania, at 199 m (653 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:39 AM and sets at 6:32 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:54 PM – 6:50 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 | 7:47 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:58 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:11 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:08 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Erie
At Erie the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Erie
47 photo locations lie within 80 km of Erie. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
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Lighthouses
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Erie is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sizerville State Park, about 167 km (104 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sizerville State Park | State Park | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Bucktail State Park Natural Area | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Sinnemahoning State Park | State Park | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Prouty Place State Park | State Park | 187 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Patterson State Park | State Park | 188 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Denton Hill State Park | State Park | 191 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | Dark Sky Place | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Springs State Park | State Park | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:00 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:53 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 1:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 11:02 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:00 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:57 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (85%). July is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.