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40.2737° N76.8844° W101 mBortle 7New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Harrisburg, PA

Dauphin County, Pennsylvania · pop. 50,183

  • Sunrise 7:24 AM
  • Sunset 6:22 PM
  • Bortle 7

Harrisburg is a city of about 50,183 people in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, at 101 m (331 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:45 PM – 6:39 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Harrisburg

Live
Sunrise
7:24 AM
Sunset
6:22 PM
Golden hour AM
7:07 AM – 8:01 AM
Golden hour PM
5:45 PM – 6:39 PM
Blue hour AM
6:57 AM – 7:07 AM
Blue hour PM
6:39 PM – 6:49 PM
Full darkness
7:53 PM – 5:54 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:36 PM / 1:21 AM
Day length
10h 58m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/New York. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:29 AM8:11 AM4:24 PM5:06 PM5:36 PM9h 37m
February7:02 AM7:40 AM5:05 PM5:43 PM6:11 PM10h 41m
March7:20 AM7:56 AM6:39 PM7:15 PM7:42 PM11h 54m
April6:30 AM7:07 AM7:10 PM7:46 PM8:14 PM13h 16m
May5:53 AM6:31 AM7:38 PM8:17 PM8:48 PM14h 24m
June5:38 AM6:19 AM7:59 PM8:40 PM9:13 PM15h 02m
July5:51 AM6:31 AM7:57 PM8:37 PM9:09 PM14h 46m
August6:19 AM6:57 AM7:29 PM8:06 PM8:36 PM13h 47m
September6:49 AM7:25 AM6:42 PM7:18 PM7:46 PM12h 29m
October7:19 AM7:56 AM5:52 PM6:29 PM6:57 PM11h 10m
November6:54 AM7:34 AM4:12 PM4:52 PM5:21 PM9h 58m
December7:24 AM8:07 AM4:00 PM4:43 PM5:14 PM9h 19m

Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Harrisburg

At Harrisburg 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Harrisburg

124 photo locations lie within 80 km of Harrisburg. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Reservoir Park Overlook2.6 km away · Dauphin County · 147 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Peters Mountain Overlook15 km away · Dauphin County · 145 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Susquehanna River Overlook17 km away · Dauphin County · 314 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Juniata River Overlook30 km away · Perry County · 150 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook54 km away · Lancaster County · 125 m
Scenic Viewpoint
I-81 Scenic View57 km away · Schuylkill County · 451 m

Waterfalls

Waterfall
Conewago Falls22 km away · Lancaster County · 73 m
Kilgore FallsWaterfall
Kilgore Falls75 km away · Harford County
Waterfall
Wiley Falls73 km away · Harford County · 155 m
Waterfall
Kilgores Rocks76 km away · Harford County · 120 m

State Parks

Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation AreaState Park
Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area9.3 km away · Dauphin County
Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation AreaState Park
Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area18 km away · Dauphin County
Gifford Pinchot State ParkState Park
Gifford Pinchot State Park22 km away · York County
Memorial Lake State ParkState Park
Memorial Lake State Park29 km away · Lebanon County
Little Buffalo State ParkState Park
Little Buffalo State Park31 km away · Perry County
Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training CenterState Park
Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center40 km away · Cumberland County

Lakes

Fuller LakeLake
Fuller Lake44 km away · Cumberland County · 254 m

Botanical Gardens

Peiffer Memorial Arboretum and Nature PreserveBotanical Garden
Peiffer Memorial Arboretum and Nature Preserve6.0 km away · Cumberland County
Hershey GardensBotanical Garden
Hershey Gardens19 km away · Dauphin County
Reading Public MuseumBotanical Garden
Reading Public Museum79 km away · Berks County

Covered Bridges

Everhart BridgeCovered Bridge
Everhart Bridge8.0 km away · Dauphin County
Dellville Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Dellville Covered Bridge22 km away · Perry County
Fleisher Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Fleisher Covered Bridge33 km away · Perry County
Red Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Red Covered Bridge35 km away · Perry County
Risser's Mill Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Risser's Mill Covered Bridge36 km away · Lancaster County
Henniger Farm Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Henniger Farm Covered Bridge35 km away · Dauphin County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Harrisburg is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hyner Run State Park, about 136 km (85 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

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Hyner Run State ParkState Park136 km (85 mi)2
Kettle Creek State ParkState Park151 km (94 mi)2
Ole Bull State ParkState Park157 km (97 mi)2
Sinnemahoning State ParkState Park163 km (101 mi)2
Leonard Harrison State ParkState Park165 km (103 mi)2
Colton Point State ParkState Park166 km (103 mi)2
Cherry Springs State ParkDark Sky Place173 km (108 mi)2
Cherry Springs State ParkState Park173 km (108 mi)2
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February5:25 AM – 5:25 AM0.011°
March4:36 AM – 5:46 AM1.217°
April2:34 AM – 4:44 AM2.220°
May12:29 AM – 3:59 AM3.521°
June10:44 PM – 3:34 AM4.821°
July10:36 PM – 2:06 AM3.521°
August9:49 PM – 12:09 AM2.320°
September8:51 PM – 10:01 PM1.217°
October8:00 PM – 8:10 PM0.211°

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 (71%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Harrisburg today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:07 AM – 8:01 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:45 PM – 6:39 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Harrisburg in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:29 PM and blue hour ends around 6:57 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Harrisburg?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:41 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:45 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Harrisburg?
Good options nearby include Reservoir Park Overlook, Peters Mountain Overlook, Susquehanna River Overlook. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Harrisburg?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Hyner Run State Park (136 km (85 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Harrisburg?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (49°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.