Beach Guide

Ocean City Sunset

The Boardwalk · painted for this minute from Ocean City’s own horizon and tonight’s cloud forecast

Wed Oct 28 · — EDTLIVE

The sun is touching the horizon · overcast at 100%

The sun goes down at

6:07 PM

T-00:05:00

Ocean City faces east, so the sun goes down behind you, over land at 6:07 PM. Face the water for the pink afterglow in the half hour after. Oc Pier is in the view. Best light from 5:47 PM to 6:37 PM.

Sunset Score · Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night. Thin high clouds (100%) that turn pink after the sun goes down; mid-level clouds (81%) that glow orange from underneath; nothing low on the horizon, so you should see the sun all the way down.

4 PM · 6:02 PM · 9:30 PM

Prefer the real thing? Watch the live OCMD cam →

Tonight’s Lineup

artisans & buskers
🎡

Trimper's Lights

all evening

🎢

Pier Rides Glow

after dark

🎆

Beach Fireworks

select nights

🎸

Boardwalk Buskers

all evening

🎠

The Carousel

evening rides

Know Before You Go

Rides

wristbands

Trimper's & the Pier, evening sessions

Pier fishing

day pass

rod rentals at the inlet end

Sunset

bayside

the ocean is the sunrise side here

Best photo

the pier

rides lit against the dark Atlantic

see you at sunset

Tonight’s times, the week ahead and the year by month are below. Boardwalk Nights runs nightly, weather permitting, from about two hours before sunset.

What time is sunset at Ocean City tonight?

Tonight, Wednesday, October 28, the sun sets at 6:07 PM at Ocean City. Ocean City faces east, so the sun goes down behind the beach, over land. Turn and face the water for the pink and purple afterglow in the half hour after. Golden hour starts at 5:29 PM, and the sky stays light until about 6:33 PM. Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10. Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Sunrise today was at 7:23 AM, which gives Ocean City 10 hr 44 min of daylight. It is fully dark by about 7:04 PM.

Ocean City sunset times this week

The next seven evenings at Ocean City: when the sun goes down, when golden hour starts and when the last light fades, plus the Sunset Score from each night's cloud forecast.

DaySunsetGolden hourLast lightCloudScore
Tonight6:07 PMfrom 5:29 PM6:33 PM100%3/10
Thu Oct 296:06 PMfrom 5:28 PM6:32 PM0%5/10
Fri Oct 306:05 PMfrom 5:27 PM6:31 PM5%5/10
Sat Oct 316:04 PMfrom 5:25 PM6:30 PM100%3/10
Sun Nov 15:03 PMfrom 4:24 PM5:29 PM87%3/10
Mon Nov 25:02 PMfrom 4:23 PM5:28 PM100%3/10
Tue Nov 35:00 PMfrom 4:22 PM5:27 PM100%3/10

Where to watch the sunset at Ocean City

Ocean City faces east, away from the sunset. The sun goes down behind you, over land, so the view to catch is the afterglow: the band of pink above the dark blue shadow of the earth rising over the water, best from sunset to about 30 minutes after.

Tonight’s timeline for Boardwalk Nights is at the top of this page.

Can’t make it to the beach? Watch the live OCMD cam at sunset.

Where the sun sets through the year

The spot where the sun sets moves along the horizon through the year. Around June 21 it goes down furthest north, in the west-north-west (301°); around December 21 it goes down furthest south, in the west-south-west (240°). In June it sets behind the beach. In December it sets behind the beach.

Golden hour and blue hour at Ocean City

Golden hour tonight runs from 5:29 PM to sunset at 6:07 PM. The sun is low, the light is warm and soft, and shadows are long. It is the best time for photos of people on the beach.

Blue hour follows, from about 6:23 PM to 6:44 PM, when the sun is below the horizon and the sky turns deep blue. The first lights come on along the shore and the water holds the last of the color.

Ocean City sunset times by month

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on the 15th of each month. Over the next year the earliest sunset is 4:41 PM (Mon Dec 7) and the latest is 8:29 PM (Mon Jun 28). Times are local and include daylight saving time where it applies.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
October 20267:10 AM6:24 PM11 hr 14 min
November 20266:43 AM4:50 PM10 hr 7 min
December 20267:11 AM4:42 PM9 hr 31 min
January 20277:17 AM5:04 PM9 hr 47 min
February 20276:53 AM5:39 PM10 hr 46 min
March 20277:13 AM7:08 PM11 hr 54 min
April 20276:26 AM7:37 PM13 hr 11 min
May 20275:51 AM8:05 PM14 hr 14 min
June 20275:38 AM8:27 PM14 hr 49 min
July 20275:50 AM8:25 PM14 hr 35 min
August 20276:16 AM7:57 PM13 hr 41 min
September 20276:43 AM7:11 PM12 hr 28 min

Tips for a great sunset at Ocean City

  • Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. The best spots fill up, and the light is often at its best in the last half hour before the sun goes down.
  • Stay 20 minutes after. The clouds often light up brightest after the sun is gone, and most people have already left.
  • Check the Sunset Score. Scattered clouds make the most color. A clear sky gives a clean sunset that fades fast, and a heavy overcast can hide it.
  • Plan your parking. Sunset is a busy time at popular beaches. See Ocean City parking for lots and rates.
  • Look at the water too. Today’s wind, waves and water temperature are on the Ocean City conditions page.
  • Make a night of it. Find places to eat and sunset cruises and things to do at Ocean City.

How we work out the sunset time

The official sunset time is when the top of the sun sinks below a flat sea horizon. We also check Ocean City’s real horizon: the hills, headlands and islands you can see from the sand. When land is in the way, the sun disappears before the official time, and we show you that earlier time. The Sunset Score rates how colorful the sky should be from the cloud forecast at sunset. Buildings are not included, so a tall hotel beside you can still hide the last minute.

Ocean City sunset FAQ

What time is sunset at Ocean City today?

The sun sets at 6:07 PM at Ocean City today (Wednesday, October 28).

What time is sunrise at Ocean City today?

The sun rose at 7:23 AM at Ocean City today.

How many hours of daylight does Ocean City get today?

10 hr 44 min of daylight, from 7:23 AM to 6:07 PM.

When is golden hour at Ocean City tonight?

Golden hour at Ocean City runs from 5:29 PM to sunset at 6:07 PM, when the sun is low and the light turns warm and soft. Blue hour follows, from 6:23 PM to 6:44 PM.

When does it get dark at Ocean City tonight?

The sky stays light enough to see without a flashlight until about 6:33 PM, the end of civil twilight. It is fully dark by about 7:04 PM.

Will the sunset be good at Ocean City tonight?

Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10, from the cloud forecast at sunset. Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Which direction does the sun set at Ocean City?

Ocean City faces east, so the sun sets behind the beach, over land. Tonight it goes down in the west-south-west.

Can you see the sun set over the water at Ocean City?

No. Ocean City faces east, so the sun sets behind you, over land. The show over the water is the afterglow in the half hour after sunset.

What are the earliest and latest sunset times at Ocean City?

Over the next year the earliest sunset at Ocean City is 4:41 PM on Monday, December 7, and the latest is 8:29 PM on Monday, June 28.

Where is the best place to watch the sunset at Ocean City?

The Boardwalk is the favorite spot at Ocean City. Get there 30 to 45 minutes before sunset for a good place, and stay 20 minutes after for the afterglow.

Is there a live sunset cam at Ocean City?

Yes. The OCMD live cam shows Ocean City in real time, linked from this page.

Sunset tonight at beaches near Ocean City

Chincoteague sunset33 mi6:09 PM
Virginia Beach sunset114 mi6:13 PM
Sandbridge Beach sunset120 mi6:13 PM
Kill Devil Hills sunset163 mi6:13 PM
Coney Island Beach sunset165 mi5:59 PM
Jacob Riis Park sunset166 mi5:59 PM

See every beach on one map: sunset times tonight across the US →