Ashburn is a city of about 43,511 people in Loudoun County, Virginia, at 90 m (295 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 PM – 6:42 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ashburn
At Ashburn the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Ashburn
106 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ashburn. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic Viewpoint
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Beaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ashburn is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 175 km (109 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls of Seneca | Waterfall | 175 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Mill Run | Ghost Town | 178 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Blackwater Canyon | Canyon | 178 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Spruce Knob | Mountain Peak | 181 km (113 mi) | 2 |
| Olson Observation Tower | Fire Lookout | 183 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Sinks of Gandy | Cave | 190 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork North Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork South Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:24 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:37 PM – 3:37 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:30 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:12 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.