Charlottesville is a city of about 46,597 people in City of Charlottesville, Virginia, at 142 m (466 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:28 AM and sets at 6:31 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:55 PM – 6:47 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 | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 33m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Charlottesville
At Charlottesville 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Charlottesville
117 photo locations lie within 80 km of Charlottesville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Charlottesville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Clarks Cave, about 107 km (67 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarks Cave | Cave | 107 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Spruce Knob | Mountain Peak | 118 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Falls of Seneca | Waterfall | 125 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Sinks of Gandy | Cave | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Sunset | Ghost Town | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork North Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Cass Scenic Railroad State Park | State Park | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork South Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.5 | 19° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.