Located in Calhoun County, Texas, Matagorda Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 12.4 km (7.7 mi) S of Port O'Connor. Its recorded tower height is about 24 m (79 ft). It dates from 1852. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Matagorda Island Light is located on Matagorda Island in Calhoun County, in the U.S. state of Texas. Once under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard, the lighthouse is now managed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.From the Wikipedia article “Matagorda Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Matagorda Island Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 63° (ENE) at the June solstice and 117° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 297° (WNW) in June to 244° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 85° in summer but only 38° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:30 AM | 63° ENE | 8:27 PM | 297° WNW | 85° | 13h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 62° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 117° ESE | 5:35 PM | 244° WSW | 38° | 10h 20m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 32m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 12m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 59m |
| April | 6:37 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 51m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 33m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 56m |
| July | 6:13 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 47m |
| August | 6:32 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 10m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 20m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 30m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 45m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 21m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Matagorda Island Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 33° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| February | 4:36 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.0 | 20° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:53 AM – 6:13 AM | 2.3 | 29° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.8 | 33° | SE → S |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:58 AM | 5.2 | 33° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:59 PM – 4:49 AM | 6.8 | 33° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:57 PM – 3:27 AM | 5.5 | 33° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:30 PM – 1:20 AM | 3.8 | 33° | S → SW |
| September | 8:51 PM – 11:21 PM | 2.5 | 30° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:16 PM – 9:26 PM | 1.2 | 21° | 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 37% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 73 | 76 | 81 | 89 | 89 | 94 | 93 | 96 | 96 | 89 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 30 | 28 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 73 | 76 | 75 | 67 | 46 | 40 | 37 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- 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 Barroom Bay, 9.1 km (5.7 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Matagorda Island Lighthouse, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Matagorda Island Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Matagorda Island Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Matagorda Island Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Matagorda Island Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Matagorda Island Lighthouse?
How far is Matagorda Island Lighthouse from Port O'Connor?
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.