Canada — a ghost town in City of Charlottesville, Virginia — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Charlottesville, about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) away (Canada lies W of town).
Canada was a small community of free African Americans established near the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in the 19th century. Many residents of Canada were employed by the university. The community existed from the early 19th century until the early 20th century, by which time the increasingly valuable land had been purchased by white speculators. Researchers theorize that the community was named in homage to the country bordering the United States to the north, where slavery had been abolished under the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833. It was located between what is now Jefferson Park Avenue and Venable Lane, and was rediscovered during the expansion of a university parking lot in May 1993. An architectural firm cataloging the finding believes that the cemetery that they've uncovered served the community; 32 graves have been discovered. The site of the home of one...From the Wikipedia article “Canada, Virginia”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Canada 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 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 59° ENE | 8:41 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:27 AM | 120° ESE | 4:58 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 31m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 33m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Canada, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:19 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:34 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:47 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.74 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). July 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 | 72 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 93 | 96 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 80 | 77 |
| Low °F | -3 | -3 | -6 | 22 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 49 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
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
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Canada?
What time is golden hour at Canada?
Where does the sun rise and set at Canada?
Can you see the Milky Way from Canada?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Canada?
How far is Canada from Charlottesville?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.