Toledo Harbor Light is a lighthouse in Lucas County, Ohio. The nearest town is Oregon, about 9.9 km (6.2 mi) away (Toledo Harbor Light lies NNE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 21 m (69 ft). It dates from 1901. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Toledo Harbor Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Lake Erie near Toledo, Ohio, in the United States. The light replaced the 1837 lighthouse on Turtle Island at the mouth of the Maumee River. It is an active aid to navigation. The lighthouse is built on a 20-foot-deep (6 m) stone crib, 8.4 miles (13.5 km) from the mouth of the Maumee River, marking the entrance to the Toledo harbor. It sits about 7 miles (11 km) north of Maumee Bay State Park. The need for a lighthouse became apparent after the shipping channel was widened and deepened in 1897 and shipping traffic increased. Construction began in 1901 when the United States Army Corps of Engineers sunk a large crib, filled it with stone, and then topped the portion above water with a concrete base to create an artificial island. Crib construction had been perfected on the Great Lakes on such earlier lights as White Shoal Light, Stannard...From the Wikipedia article “Toledo Harbor Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Toledo Harbor Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:00 AM | 57° ENE | 9:12 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:58 AM | 122° ESE | 5:07 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 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
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 | 7:28 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:45 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:40 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Toledo Harbor Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 1:03 AM – 4:13 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:22 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:12 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:22 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:20 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 19.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 82 | 82 | 91 | 101 | 104 | 100 | 97 | 88 | 78 | 67 |
| Low °F | -16 | -12 | -2 | 18 | 26 | 39 | 47 | 47 | 37 | 26 | 11 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Toledo Harbor Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Toledo Harbor Light?
What time is golden hour at Toledo Harbor Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Toledo Harbor Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Toledo Harbor Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Toledo Harbor Light?
How far is Toledo Harbor Light from Oregon?
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.