Chester is a city of about 20,987 people in Chesterfield County, Virginia, at 53 m (174 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:52 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 36m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Chester
At Chester the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Chester
20 photo locations lie within 80 km of Chester. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLighthouses
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LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Chester is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Pettigrew State Park, about 196 km (122 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pettigrew State Park | State Park | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Bee Tree Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Pungo Lake | Lake | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park | State Park | 70 km (43 mi) | 3 |
| Bear Creek Lake State Park | State Park | 76 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Twin Lakes State Park | State Park | 76 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Trent's Mill Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 78 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.7 | 24° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:16 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:30 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:28 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.3 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (59%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.