Lorton is a city of about 18,610 people in Fairfax County, Virginia. 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 | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 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 | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 52m |
| 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 | 8:33 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Lorton
At Lorton 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 Lorton
80 photo locations lie within 80 km of Lorton. 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 Lorton is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Falls of Seneca, about 197 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 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls of Seneca | Waterfall | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Hazel Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 94 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Pinnacle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 96 km (59 mi) | 3 |
| Old Rag Mountain | Mountain Peak | 96 km (60 mi) | 3 |
| Jewell Hollow Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 97 km (60 mi) | 3 |
| Stony Man Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 99 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Thorofare Mountain Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 99 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Hemlock Springs Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 99 km (62 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.