Oak Harbor is a city of about 22,693 people in Island County, Washington. Today the sun rises at 7:38 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:30 PM – 6:33 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 | 7:57 AM | 8:48 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:19 PM | 8h 47m |
| February | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 14m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:19 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 40m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 12m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:59 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:55 PM | 16h 04m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 42m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 21m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 37m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:55 PM | 10h 52m |
| November | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 15m |
| December | 7:56 AM | 8:50 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:54 PM | 8h 21m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Oak Harbor
At Oak Harbor the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.
Best photo spots near Oak Harbor
141 photo locations lie within 80 km of Oak Harbor. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Lighthouses
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BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Oak Harbor is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Point Roberts Light, about 82 km (51 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to July, best in May. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Roberts Light | Lighthouse | 82 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Lighthouse Marine Park Boat Launch | Lighthouse | 82 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Wells Creek Falls | Waterfall | 91 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Mazama Falls | Waterfall | 91 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Nooksack Falls Viewpoint | Scenic Viewpoint | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Nooksack Falls | Waterfall | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Iceberg Lake | Lake | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Bacon Peak Falls | Waterfall | 94 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | 3:48 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.5 | 12° |
| May | 1:52 AM – 2:52 AM | 1.0 | 13° |
| June | 12:37 AM – 1:37 AM | 1.0 | 13° |
| July | 11:58 PM – 12:48 AM | 0.8 | 12° |
| August | 10:33 PM – 10:53 PM | 0.3 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.