Hopewell is a city of about 22,378 people in City of Hopewell, Virginia. Today the sun rises at 7:22 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:51 PM – 6:43 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 | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 37m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hopewell
At Hopewell 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 Hopewell
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hopewell. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBotanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hopewell is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Pettigrew State Park, about 185 km (115 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 | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 186 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Bee Tree Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 188 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Pungo Lake | Lake | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Bowlers Rock Light | Lighthouse | 76 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Belle Isle State Park | State Park | 80 km (50 mi) | 3 |
| Sailor's Creek Battlefield Historical State Park | State Park | 83 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Twin Lakes State Park | State Park | 89 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:13 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.7 | 24° |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:25 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:29 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:29 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 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.