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Flag of Pittsburgh
40.4406° N79.9959° W233 mBortle 7New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Pittsburgh, PA

Allegheny County, Pennsylvania · pop. 304,391

  • Sunrise 7:37 AM
  • Sunset 6:34 PM
  • Bortle 7

Pittsburgh is a city of about 304,391 people in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, at 233 m (764 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:37 AM and sets at 6:34 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:57 PM – 6:51 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Pittsburgh

Live
Sunrise
7:37 AM
Sunset
6:34 PM
Golden hour AM
7:20 AM – 8:14 AM
Golden hour PM
5:57 PM – 6:51 PM
Blue hour AM
7:09 AM – 7:20 AM
Blue hour PM
6:51 PM – 7:02 PM
Full darkness
8:05 PM – 6:07 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:49 PM / 1:34 AM
Day length
10h 57m
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
January7:42 AM8:24 AM4:36 PM5:18 PM5:48 PM9h 36m
February7:15 AM7:53 AM5:17 PM5:56 PM6:23 PM10h 41m
March7:33 AM8:09 AM6:51 PM7:27 PM7:54 PM11h 54m
April6:42 AM7:19 AM7:22 PM7:59 PM8:27 PM13h 17m
May6:05 AM6:44 AM7:51 PM8:30 PM9:01 PM14h 25m
June5:50 AM6:31 AM8:12 PM8:53 PM9:26 PM15h 03m
July6:03 AM6:43 AM8:10 PM8:50 PM9:22 PM14h 47m
August6:32 AM7:09 AM7:42 PM8:19 PM8:48 PM13h 48m
September7:02 AM7:37 AM6:55 PM7:31 PM7:58 PM12h 29m
October7:31 AM8:08 AM6:05 PM6:41 PM7:09 PM11h 10m
November7:07 AM7:47 AM4:24 PM5:04 PM5:33 PM9h 57m
December7:37 AM8:20 AM4:12 PM4:55 PM5:26 PM9h 18m

Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.

JanuarySunset 5:18 PM · 9h 36mFebruarySunset 5:56 PM · 10h 41mMarchSunset 7:27 PM · 11h 54mAprilSunset 7:59 PM · 13h 17mMaySunset 8:30 PM · 14h 25mJuneSunset 8:53 PM · 15h 03mJulySunset 8:50 PM · 14h 47mAugustSunset 8:19 PM · 13h 48mSeptemberSunset 7:31 PM · 12h 29mOctoberSunset 6:41 PM · 11h 10mNovemberSunset 5:04 PM · 9h 57mDecemberSunset 4:55 PM · 9h 18m

Where the sun rises and sets in Pittsburgh

At Pittsburgh 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Pittsburgh

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

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Mount Washington Overlook1.5 km away · Allegheny County · 315 m
Scenic Viewpoint
California Overlook41 km away · Washington County · 319 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Seven County Scenic View75 km away · Fayette County · 792 m

Waterfalls

Waterfall
Homewood Falls50 km away · Beaver County · 289 m
Waterfall
Creek Falls46 km away · Fayette County · 295 m
Waterfall
Hells Hollow Falls58 km away · Lawrence County
Waterfall
Spillway Falls59 km away · Lawrence County · 329 m
Waterfall
Grant City Falls62 km away · Lawrence County · 337 m
Buttermilk Falls Natural AreaWaterfall
Buttermilk Falls Natural Area79 km away · Indiana County

State Parks

Point State ParkState Park
Point State Park1.4 km away · Allegheny County
Allegheny Islands State ParkState Park
Allegheny Islands State Park18 km away · Allegheny County
Hillman State ParkState Park
Hillman State Park31 km away · Washington County
Raccoon Creek State ParkState Park
Raccoon Creek State Park39 km away · Beaver County
Keystone State ParkState Park
Keystone State Park52 km away · Westmoreland County
McConnells Mill State ParkState Park
McConnells Mill State Park56 km away · Lawrence County

Lakes

Panther Hollow LakeLake
Panther Hollow Lake4.1 km away · Allegheny County · 245 m

Botanical Gardens

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical GardensBotanical Garden
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens4.1 km away · Allegheny County
Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical GardenBotanical Garden
Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden4.5 km away · Allegheny County
Pittsburgh Botanic GardenBotanical Garden
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden15 km away · Allegheny County

Covered Bridges

Mechanic Street BridgeCovered Bridge
Mechanic Street Bridge1.3 km away · Allegheny County
Union BridgeCovered Bridge
Union Bridge1.5 km away · Allegheny County
43rd Street BridgeCovered Bridge
43rd Street Bridge4.5 km away · Allegheny County
Covered Bridge
Monongahela Bridge0.8 km away · Allegheny County
Henry Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Henry Covered Bridge27 km away · Washington County
Ebenezer Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Ebenezer Covered Bridge28 km away · Washington County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Pittsburgh is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is West Union Covered Bridge, about 144 km (89 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
West Union Covered BridgeCovered Bridge144 km (89 mi)2
Olson Observation TowerFire Lookout152 km (94 mi)2
North Bend Rail TrailState Park153 km (95 mi)2
Blackwater CanyonCanyon154 km (96 mi)2
Mill RunGhost Town163 km (101 mi)2
North Bend State ParkState Park166 km (103 mi)2
Walkersville Covered BridgeCovered Bridge180 km (112 mi)2
Falls of SenecaWaterfall185 km (115 mi)2
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February5:37 AM – 5:37 AM0.011°
March4:48 AM – 5:58 AM1.217°
April2:47 AM – 4:57 AM2.220°
May12:42 AM – 4:02 AM3.321°
June10:58 PM – 3:38 AM4.721°
July10:49 PM – 2:19 AM3.521°
August10:02 PM – 12:12 AM2.220°
September9:04 PM – 10:14 PM1.217°
October8:12 PM – 8:12 PM0.011°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 Pittsburgh today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:20 AM – 8:14 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:57 PM – 6:51 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Pittsburgh in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:41 PM and blue hour ends around 7:09 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Pittsburgh?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:54 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:57 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Pittsburgh?
Good options nearby include Mount Washington Overlook, Panther Hollow Lake, California Overlook. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Pittsburgh?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to West Union Covered Bridge (144 km (89 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Pittsburgh?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (50°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.