Located in Hillsborough County, Florida, Egmont Key Light is a lighthouse. It is part of Egmont Key State Park. The nearest town is Anna Maria, about 8.2 km (5.1 mi) away (Egmont Key Light lies NNW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 26 m (85 ft). It dates from 1848.
The current Egmont Key Light dates from 1858. It is the oldest structure in the Tampa Bay area still used for its original purpose.From the Wikipedia article “Egmont Key Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Egmont Key Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 86° in summer but only 39° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:36 AM | 90° E | 7:43 PM | 270° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:37 AM | 63° ENE | 8:30 PM | 297° WNW | 86° | 13h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:20 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 63° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 116° ESE | 5:42 PM | 244° WSW | 39° | 10h 24m |
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
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:24 PM | 10h 35m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 14m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:12 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 AM | 7:25 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 49m |
| May | 6:18 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 31m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 53m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 43m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 08m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 32m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 47m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 24m |
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 Egmont Key Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 34° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), 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 | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:42 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:48 AM – 6:18 AM | 2.5 | 30° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 3.8 | 34° | SE → S |
| May | 11:51 PM – 5:11 AM | 5.3 | 34° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:01 PM – 5:01 AM | 7.0 | 34° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:59 PM – 3:29 AM | 5.5 | 34° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:34 PM – 1:34 AM | 4.0 | 34° | S → SW |
| September | 8:56 PM – 11:26 PM | 2.5 | 31° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:21 PM – 9:31 PM | 1.2 | 22° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.25 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 84 | 89 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 89 | 86 | 83 |
| Low °F | 30 | 35 | 40 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 73 | 73 | 65 | 47 | 42 | 36 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 9.1 | 7.3 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 2.4 |
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 lighthouse
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Many lighthouses are on private or Coast Guard property — check public access and opening hours.
- Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Egmont Key, Egmont Channel, 127 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Egmont Key Light, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Beach
State ParkBeachBeachFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Egmont Key Light?
What time is golden hour at Egmont Key Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Egmont Key Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Egmont Key Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Egmont Key Light?
How far is Egmont Key Light from Anna Maria?
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.