Staunton is a city of about 24,416 people in City of Staunton, Virginia, at 432 m (1,417 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:30 AM and sets at 6:33 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:57 PM – 6:49 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 | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 6:07 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 6:06 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 32m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Staunton
At Staunton 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 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Staunton
145 photo locations lie within 80 km of Staunton. 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 Staunton is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Clarks Cave, about 55 km (34 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 | 55 km (34 mi) | 2 |
| Spruce Knob | Mountain Peak | 73 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Sunset | Ghost Town | 76 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Cass Scenic Railroad State Park | State Park | 78 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Sinks of Gandy | Cave | 80 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Falls of Seneca | Waterfall | 83 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Laurel Fork South Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 84 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| Monongahela National Forest | National Forest | 85 km (53 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:26 AM – 4:16 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:30 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.