Dale City is a city of about 65,969 people in Prince William County, Virginia, at 70 m (230 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:25 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 | 7:26 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Dale City
At Dale City 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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Dale City
71 photo locations lie within 80 km of Dale City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Lighthouses
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Beach
BeachBeachBeachBeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Dale City is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 190 km (118 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls of Seneca | Waterfall | 190 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Spruce Knob | Mountain Peak | 193 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Mill Run | Ghost Town | 198 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 87 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| Old Rag Mountain | Mountain Peak | 88 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Pinnacle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 88 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Jewell Hollow Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 89 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Thorofare Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 91 km (57 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:22 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.2 | 22° |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.3 | 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 May as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.