Located in Milam County, Texas, Port Sullivan is a ghost town at about 101 m (331 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.9 km (6.2 mi) W of Hearne.
Port Sullivan, Texas is a ghost town in Milam County, Texas. It was established in 1835 by Augustus W. Sullivan. By the 1850s, Joseph P. Sneed, a pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, founded the Port Sullivan Male and Female Institute (also known as the Port Sullivan College). The town is home to the Port Sullivan Cemetery.From the Wikipedia article “Port Sullivan, Texas”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Port Sullivan the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 62° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 298° (WNW) in June to 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 83° in summer but only 36° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:25 AM | 62° ENE | 8:34 PM | 298° WNW | 83° | 14h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:16 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 59° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 117° ESE | 5:30 PM | 243° WSW | 36° | 10h 09m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 22m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 06m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 58m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 55m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:42 PM | 13h 43m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 08m |
| July | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:32 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 58m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:36 PM | 13h 17m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:34 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 22m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 27m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 36m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 10m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Port Sullivan, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 30° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:46 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.0 | 19° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:56 AM – 6:16 AM | 2.3 | 27° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:59 AM – 5:29 AM | 3.5 | 30° | SE → S |
| May | 11:57 PM – 4:57 AM | 5.0 | 30° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:10 PM – 4:40 AM | 6.5 | 30° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:07 PM – 3:17 AM | 5.2 | 30° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 1:18 AM | 3.7 | 30° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 11:15 PM | 2.3 | 27° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:17 PM | 1.0 | 19° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 4° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.32 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 81 | 88 | 90 | 98 | 102 | 109 | 108 | 110 | 106 | 98 | 89 | 83 |
| Low °F | 17 | 18 | 20 | 34 | 43 | 62 | 66 | 64 | 50 | 35 | 24 | 22 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Port Sullivan, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Port Sullivan?
What time is golden hour at Port Sullivan?
Where does the sun rise and set at Port Sullivan?
Can you see the Milky Way from Port Sullivan?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Port Sullivan?
How far is Port Sullivan from Hearne?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.