Located in Lorain County, Ohio, Vermilion Light is a lighthouse. Its recorded tower height is about 5 m (16 ft). It dates from 1877.
The Vermilion Lighthouse is a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Erie in Vermilion, Ohio, USA. It is situated near the mouth of the Vermilion River. Erected on 23 October 1991 and dedicated on 6 June 1992, the lighthouse is illuminated by a 200 watt incandescent light bulb with a 5th order Fresnel lens. The lighthouse's United States Coast Guard-mandated light color is steady red. The current lighthouse is a 34-foot (10.4 meters) replica of the previous Vermilion Lighthouse that had been removed in 1929. Following a multi-year fundraising campaign headed by local historian Theodore Wakefield, the replica was built by the Great Lakes Historical Society using $55,000 in public contributions. Designed by architect Robert Lee Tracht of Huron, Ohio, groundbreaking for the lighthouse occurred on 24 July 1991.From the Wikipedia article “Vermilion Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Vermilion Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (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) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 57° ENE | 9:07 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 121° ESE | 5:04 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:04 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:18 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Vermilion Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:58 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:57 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:15 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:15 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:22 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 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 ≈ 19.31 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 62% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (83%). 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 | 56 | 59 | 71 | 69 | 83 | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88 | 82 | 70 | 60 |
| Low °F | -9 | -3 | 2 | 25 | 32 | 44 | 53 | 56 | 45 | 37 | 18 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Vermilion Light, closest first.
Beach
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Vermilion Light?
What time is golden hour at Vermilion Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Vermilion Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Vermilion Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Vermilion Light?
How far is Vermilion Light from Vermilion?
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.