Key West lighthouse — a lighthouse in Monroe County, Florida — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.0 km (1.2 mi) WSW of Key West.
The Key West Lighthouse is located in Key West, Florida. The first Key West lighthouse was a 65-foot (20 m) tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in 15-inch (380 mm) reflectors.From the Wikipedia article “Key West Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Key West lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (ENE) at the June solstice and 116° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 89° in summer but only 42° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:32 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 270° W | 65° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:40 AM | 64° ENE | 8:20 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 66° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 116° ESE | 5:44 PM | 245° WSW | 42° | 10h 37m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:25 PM | 10h 47m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 20m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 00m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 44m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| June | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 39m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 31m |
| August | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 00m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 18m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 36m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 57m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 37m |
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 Key West lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 37° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 6 (bright 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 | 4:29 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.2 | 23° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:32 AM – 6:12 AM | 2.7 | 33° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 5:38 AM | 4.0 | 37° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 5:18 AM | 5.7 | 37° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 5:06 AM | 7.3 | 37° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:46 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.8 | 37° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:23 PM – 1:43 AM | 4.3 | 37° | S → SW |
| September | 8:49 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.8 | 34° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.3 | 24° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.17 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show April as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and September as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 80 | 80 | 82 | 85 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 89 | 88 | 86 | 84 | 81 |
| Low °F | 50 | 53 | 59 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 76 | 66 | 64 | 54 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 6.7 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.3 |
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.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is KEY WEST, 923 m away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Key West lighthouse, closest first.
State Park
Beach
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Key West lighthouse?
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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.