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41.4092° N75.6649° W230 mBortle 8New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Scranton, PA

Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania · pop. 77,118

  • Sunrise 7:21 AM
  • Sunset 6:16 PM
  • Bortle 8

Scranton is a city of about 77,118 people in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, at 230 m (755 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:21 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 PM – 6:33 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Scranton

Live
Sunrise
7:21 AM
Sunset
6:16 PM
Golden hour AM
7:03 AM – 7:59 AM
Golden hour PM
5:38 PM – 6:33 PM
Blue hour AM
6:53 AM – 7:03 AM
Blue hour PM
6:33 PM – 6:44 PM
Full darkness
7:48 PM – 5:49 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:33 PM / 1:13 AM
Day length
10h 55m
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
January7:27 AM8:10 AM4:15 PM4:58 PM5:29 PM9h 31m
February6:59 AM7:37 AM4:58 PM5:37 PM6:05 PM10h 38m
March7:15 AM7:52 AM6:33 PM7:09 PM7:37 PM11h 54m
April6:24 AM7:01 AM7:06 PM7:43 PM8:12 PM13h 19m
May5:45 AM6:24 AM7:35 PM8:15 PM8:47 PM14h 30m
June5:29 AM6:11 AM7:57 PM8:39 PM9:12 PM15h 09m
July5:43 AM6:24 AM7:55 PM8:36 PM9:09 PM14h 53m
August6:12 AM6:50 AM7:26 PM8:04 PM8:33 PM13h 51m
September6:44 AM7:20 AM6:37 PM7:14 PM7:42 PM12h 30m
October7:15 AM7:52 AM5:46 PM6:23 PM6:51 PM11h 08m
November6:52 AM7:33 AM4:03 PM4:44 PM5:14 PM9h 53m
December7:23 AM8:07 AM3:50 PM4:35 PM5:06 PM9h 12m

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

Where the sun rises and sets in Scranton

At Scranton the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Scranton

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

Scenic Viewpoints

Scenic Viewpoint
Mount Pocono Overlook42 km away · Monroe County · 514 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Big Pocono Overlook48 km away · Monroe County · 641 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Jessup Overlook50 km away · Susquehanna County · 503 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Council Cup Scenic Overlook53 km away · Luzerne County · 364 m
Scenic Viewpoint
Flagstaff Mountain Overlook62 km away · Carbon County · 400 m
Scenic Viewpoint
French Azilum Overlook64 km away · Bradford County · 348 m

Waterfalls

Waterfall
Nay Aug Falls2.3 km away · Lackawanna County · 259 m
Waterfall
Buttermilk Falls16 km away · Wyoming County · 196 m
Waterfall
Whirlpool Canyon Falls23 km away · Luzerne County · 382 m
Waterfall
Great Falls of the Lehigh31 km away · Luzerne County · 444 m
Waterfall
Wangum Falls36 km away · Wayne County · 331 m
Waterfall
Tobyhanna Falls37 km away · Monroe County · 467 m

State Parks

Archbald Pothole State ParkState Park
Archbald Pothole State Park14 km away · Lackawanna County
Lackawanna State ParkState Park
Lackawanna State Park19 km away · Lackawanna County
Frances Slocum State ParkState Park
Frances Slocum State Park20 km away · Luzerne County
Varden Conservation AreaState Park
Varden Conservation Area25 km away · Wayne County
Gouldsboro State ParkState Park
Gouldsboro State Park28 km away · Wayne County
Tobyhanna State ParkState Park
Tobyhanna State Park31 km away · Pike County

Lakes

Lake JeanLake
Lake Jean53 km away · Luzerne County · 676 m

Botanical Gardens

McDade ParkBotanical Garden
McDade Park4.0 km away · Lackawanna County
Lee and Virginia Graver ArboretumBotanical Garden
Lee and Virginia Graver Arboretum72 km away · Northampton County
Cutler Botanic GardenBotanical Garden
Cutler Botanic Garden80 km away · Broome County

Covered Bridges

Bittenbender Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Bittenbender Covered Bridge53 km away · Luzerne County
Y Covered Bridge No. 156Covered Bridge
Y Covered Bridge No. 15660 km away · Columbia County
Stillwater Covered Bridge No. 134Covered Bridge
Stillwater Covered Bridge No. 13465 km away · Columbia County
Josiah Hess Covered Bridge No. 122Covered Bridge
Josiah Hess Covered Bridge No. 12265 km away · Columbia County
Little Gap Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
Little Gap Covered Bridge65 km away · Carbon County
Twin Bridges-East Paden Covered Bridge No. 120Covered Bridge
Twin Bridges-East Paden Covered Bridge No. 12067 km away · Columbia County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Scranton is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Leonard Harrison State Park, about 152 km (95 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.

Darkest skies within 200 km

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Leonard Harrison State ParkState Park152 km (95 mi)2
Colton Point State ParkState Park153 km (95 mi)2
Hyner Run State ParkState Park164 km (102 mi)2
Ole Bull State ParkState Park171 km (106 mi)2
Lyman Run State ParkState Park179 km (111 mi)2
Cherry Springs State ParkDark Sky Place182 km (113 mi)2
Cherry Springs State ParkState Park182 km (113 mi)2
Denton Hill State ParkState Park184 km (115 mi)2
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
March4:32 AM – 5:32 AM1.016°
April2:33 AM – 4:33 AM2.019°
May12:31 AM – 3:41 AM3.220°
June10:49 PM – 3:19 AM4.520°
July10:39 PM – 1:49 AM3.220°
August9:50 PM – 11:50 PM2.019°
September8:49 PM – 9:49 PM1.016°
October7:56 PM – 7:56 PM0.010°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 Scranton today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:03 AM – 7:59 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:38 PM – 6:33 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Scranton in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:23 PM and blue hour ends around 6:51 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Scranton?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:40 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:37 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Scranton?
Good options nearby include Osterhout Mountain, Miller Mountain, Forkston Mountain. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Scranton?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 8). Drive to Leonard Harrison State Park (152 km (95 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Scranton?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (51°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.