Located in Westmoreland County, Virginia, Ragged Point Light is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Leonardtown, about 15.5 km (9.6 mi) away (Ragged Point Light lies S of town). It dates from 1910.
The Ragged Point Light was a screw-pile lighthouse located in the Potomac River. It was the last lighthouse built in Maryland waters and the last built at a location in the Chesapeake Bay.From the Wikipedia article “Ragged Point Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ragged Point Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 59° ENE | 8:34 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 120° ESE | 4:51 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 32m |
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 Ragged Point Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:28 PM – 3:38 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.01 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 71 | 70 | 76 | 89 | 92 | 96 | 101 | 100 | 94 | 93 | 75 | 72 |
| Low °F | 7 | 4 | 14 | 29 | 38 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 49 | 36 | 24 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Ragged Point, Coles Neck, Va., 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ragged Point Light, closest first.
Beach
LighthouseBeach
State Park
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeach
LighthouseLighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Pax River Paradise Grove Campgrounds25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Pax River Hog Point Campgrounds25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- George Washington Birthplace National Monument Picnic Pavilion28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ragged Point Light?
What time is golden hour at Ragged Point Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ragged Point Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ragged Point Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ragged Point Light?
How far is Ragged Point Light from Leonardtown?
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.