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Flag of Lancaster
40.0379° N76.3055° W110 mBortle 7New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County, Pennsylvania · pop. 59,339

  • Sunrise 7:22 AM
  • Sunset 6:20 PM
  • Bortle 7

Lancaster is a city of about 59,339 people in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, at 110 m (361 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:22 AM and sets at 6:20 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:43 PM – 6:37 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Lancaster

Live
Sunrise
7:22 AM
Sunset
6:20 PM
Golden hour AM
7:05 AM – 7:59 AM
Golden hour PM
5:43 PM – 6:37 PM
Blue hour AM
6:54 AM – 7:05 AM
Blue hour PM
6:37 PM – 6:47 PM
Full darkness
7:50 PM – 5:52 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:33 PM / 1:19 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
January7:26 AM8:08 AM4:23 PM5:04 PM5:34 PM9h 38m
February6:59 AM7:37 AM5:04 PM5:41 PM6:09 PM10h 42m
March7:18 AM7:54 AM6:36 PM7:12 PM7:39 PM11h 55m
April6:28 AM7:04 AM7:07 PM7:44 PM8:12 PM13h 16m
May5:51 AM6:30 AM7:35 PM8:14 PM8:45 PM14h 23m
June5:37 AM6:17 AM7:56 PM8:37 PM9:09 PM15h 00m
July5:49 AM6:29 AM7:54 PM8:34 PM9:06 PM14h 45m
August6:18 AM6:55 AM7:27 PM8:04 PM8:33 PM13h 46m
September6:47 AM7:23 AM6:40 PM7:16 PM7:43 PM12h 29m
October7:16 AM7:53 AM5:50 PM6:27 PM6:54 PM11h 11m
November6:51 AM7:31 AM4:10 PM4:50 PM5:19 PM9h 59m
December7:21 AM8:04 AM3:59 PM4:42 PM5:12 PM9h 21m

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

Where the sun rises and sets in Lancaster

At Lancaster 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 27° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Lancaster

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

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Overlook4.3 km away · Lancaster County · 125 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Pinnacle Overlook22 km away · Lancaster County · 196 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Face Rock Overlook23 km away · Lancaster County · 130 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Susquehannock Overlook26 km away · Lancaster County · 145 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Reservoir Park Overlook53 km away · Dauphin County · 147 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Peters Mountain Overlook66 km away · Dauphin County · 145 m

Waterfalls

Waterfall
Conewago Falls36 km away · Lancaster County · 73 m
Kilgore FallsWaterfall
Kilgore Falls40 km away · Harford County
Waterfall
Kilgores Rocks40 km away · Harford County · 120 m
Waterfall
Wiley Falls43 km away · Harford County · 155 m
Waterfall
Amos Falls44 km away · Cecil County · 6 m
Waterfall
Gilpins Falls53 km away · Cecil County · 63 m

State Parks

Samuel S. Lewis State ParkState Park
Samuel S. Lewis State Park21 km away · York County
Susquehannock State ParkState Park
Susquehannock State Park25 km away · York County
Nolde Forest Environmental Education CenterState Park
Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center40 km away · Berks County
Rocks State ParkState Park
Rocks State Park45 km away · Harford County
French Creek State ParkState Park
French Creek State Park48 km away · Chester County
Marsh Creek State ParkState Park
Marsh Creek State Park49 km away · Chester County

Lighthouses

Concord Point LightLighthouse
Concord Point Light58 km away · Harford County
Fishing Battery LightLighthouse
Fishing Battery Light63 km away · Harford County
Turkey Point LightLighthouse
Turkey Point Light70 km away · Cecil County
New Castle Range Rear LightLighthouse
New Castle Range Rear Light74 km away · New Castle County
New Castle Range Front LightLighthouse
New Castle Range Front Light75 km away · New Castle County
Bellevue Range Rear LightLighthouse
Bellevue Range Rear Light76 km away · New Castle County

Beaches

Beach
Roachs Shore62 km away · Cecil County
Beach
Belcamp Beach64 km away · Harford County
Beach
Deemers Beach75 km away · New Castle County

Botanical Gardens

Hershey GardensBotanical Garden
Hershey Gardens42 km away · Dauphin County
Reading Public MuseumBotanical Garden
Reading Public Museum44 km away · Berks County
Ladew Topiary GardensBotanical Garden
Ladew Topiary Gardens54 km away · Harford County
Peiffer Memorial Arboretum and Nature PreserveBotanical Garden
Peiffer Memorial Arboretum and Nature Preserve53 km away · Cumberland County
WelkinweirBotanical Garden
Welkinweir55 km away · Chester County
Longwood GardensBotanical Garden
Longwood Gardens57 km away · Chester County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Lancaster is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hyner Run State Park, about 185 km (115 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 Park185 km (115 mi)2
Dimmsville Covered BridgeCovered Bridge95 km (59 mi)3
Adairs Covered BridgeCovered Bridge101 km (63 mi)3
Kochendefer Covered BridgeCovered Bridge101 km (63 mi)3
Saville Covered BridgeCovered Bridge103 km (64 mi)3
Bistline Covered BridgeCovered Bridge104 km (65 mi)3
Lehman's, Port Royal Covered BridgeCovered Bridge107 km (67 mi)3
Book's Covered BridgeCovered Bridge108 km (67 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February5:12 AM – 5:22 AM0.211°
March4:22 AM – 5:42 AM1.318°
April2:20 AM – 4:40 AM2.321°
May12:24 AM – 3:54 AM3.521°
June10:39 PM – 3:29 AM4.821°
July10:31 PM – 2:01 AM3.521°
August9:45 PM – 12:05 AM2.321°
September8:48 PM – 9:58 PM1.218°
October7:57 PM – 8:07 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 Lancaster today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:05 AM – 7:59 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:43 PM – 6:37 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Lancaster in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:27 PM and blue hour ends around 6:54 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Lancaster?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:38 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:44 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Lancaster?
Good options nearby include Overlook, Pinnacle Overlook, Face Rock Overlook. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Lancaster?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Hyner Run State Park (185 km (115 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Lancaster?
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.