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33.9204° N80.3415° W52 mBortle 7New York

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Sumter, SC

Sumter County, South Carolina · pop. 40,816

  • Sunrise 7:31 AM
  • Sunset 6:43 PM
  • Bortle 7

Sumter is a city of about 40,816 people in Sumter County, South Carolina, at 52 m (171 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:31 AM and sets at 6:43 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:09 PM – 6:58 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Sumter

Live
Sunrise
7:31 AM
Sunset
6:43 PM
Golden hour AM
7:15 AM – 8:05 AM
Golden hour PM
6:09 PM – 6:58 PM
Blue hour AM
7:06 AM – 7:15 AM
Blue hour PM
6:58 PM – 7:08 PM
Full darkness
8:06 PM – 6:08 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:40 PM / 1:49 AM
Day length
11h 12m
Sunrise azimuth
102°
Sunset azimuth
258°
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 AM8:04 AM4:58 PM5:36 PM6:03 PM10h 09m
February7:07 AM7:41 AM5:31 PM6:06 PM6:31 PM10h 59m
March7:33 AM8:06 AM6:56 PM7:29 PM7:54 PM11h 57m
April6:51 AM7:25 AM7:19 PM7:53 PM8:18 PM13h 02m
May6:21 AM6:56 AM7:41 PM8:16 PM8:44 PM13h 55m
June6:11 AM6:48 AM7:58 PM8:35 PM9:04 PM14h 24m
July6:22 AM6:58 AM7:58 PM8:34 PM9:02 PM14h 12m
August6:44 AM7:18 AM7:36 PM8:10 PM8:36 PM13h 26m
September7:05 AM7:38 AM6:57 PM7:30 PM7:55 PM12h 24m
October7:27 AM8:01 AM6:15 PM6:49 PM7:14 PM11h 22m
November6:55 AM7:31 AM4:43 PM5:19 PM5:46 PM10h 25m
December7:20 AM7:58 AM4:36 PM5:15 PM5:42 PM9h 55m

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

Where the sun rises and sets in Sumter

At Sumter the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Sumter

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

Waterfalls

Waterfall
Cedar Falls76 km away · Kershaw County · 115 m

State Parks

Poinsett State ParkState Park
Poinsett State Park22 km away · Sumter County
Woods Bay State ParkState Park
Woods Bay State Park32 km away · Sumter County
Goodale State ParkState Park
Goodale State Park44 km away · Kershaw County
Sesquicentennial State ParkState Park
Sesquicentennial State Park55 km away · Richland County

Lakes

Lake MarionLake
Lake Marion52 km away · Orangeburg County
Lake MoultrieLake
Lake Moultrie74 km away · Berkeley County

Botanical Gardens

Moore Farms Botanical GardenBotanical Garden
Moore Farms Botanical Garden48 km away · Williamsburg County
W. Gordon Belser ArboretumBotanical Garden
W. Gordon Belser Arboretum60 km away · Richland County
Riverbanks ZooBotanical Garden
Riverbanks Zoo68 km away · Lexington County

National Wildlife Refuges

Santee National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
Santee National Wildlife Refuge45 km away · Clarendon County
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge74 km away · Chesterfield County

Ghost Towns

Ghost Town
Ferguson54 km away · Orangeburg County
Ghost Town
Springville65 km away · Darlington County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Sumter is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Rivers Bridge State Park, about 119 km (74 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.

Darkest skies within 200 km

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Rivers Bridge State ParkState Park119 km (74 mi)2
Georgetown LightLighthouse132 km (82 mi)2
Old Cape Romain LighthouseLighthouse135 km (84 mi)2
Cape Romain LighthousesLighthouse135 km (84 mi)2
Poinsett State ParkState Park22 km (14 mi)3
Woods Bay State ParkState Park32 km (20 mi)3
Goodale State ParkState Park44 km (27 mi)3
Santee National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge45 km (28 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
February4:59 AM – 5:39 AM0.716°
March4:12 AM – 6:02 AM1.824°
April2:10 AM – 5:20 AM3.227°
May12:13 AM – 4:33 AM4.327°
June10:19 PM – 4:19 AM6.027°
July10:15 PM – 2:55 AM4.727°
August9:41 PM – 12:51 AM3.227°
September8:54 PM – 10:54 PM2.024°
October8:11 PM – 8:51 PM0.716°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (56%). 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 Sumter today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:15 AM – 8:05 AM and the evening golden hour is 6:09 PM – 6:58 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Sumter in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:49 PM and blue hour ends around 7:14 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Sumter?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:36 PM — and earliest in December, around 5:17 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Sumter?
Good options nearby include Lake Marion, Lake Moultrie. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Sumter?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Rivers Bridge State Park (119 km (74 mi)) for dark skies.