Film production in Philadelphia
Between June and December, usable daylight in Philadelphia moves by 5h 38min — from 14h 59min down to 9h 21min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Philadelphia rises at 05:32 and sets at 20:32; the evening golden hour starts at 19:51 and runs for 41 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:16–16:37, with a 43-minute golden-hour window from 15:54.
For scheduling, that means the window for the one shot that lives on light runs between 36 and 43 minutes across the year. Put it last in the day and the first overrun takes it.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:21 | 17:00 | 9h 39min | 16:19 |
| February | 06:55 | 17:37 | 10h 42min | 16:59 |
| March | 07:13 | 19:08 | 11h 55min | 18:32 |
| April | 06:24 | 19:39 | 13h 15min | 19:03 |
| May | 05:46 | 20:09 | 14h 23min | 19:31 |
| June | 05:32 | 20:32 | 14h 59min | 19:51 |
| July | 05:45 | 20:29 | 14h 44min | 19:50 |
| August | 06:13 | 19:59 | 13h 46min | 19:22 |
| September | 06:42 | 19:11 | 12h 29min | 18:36 |
| October | 07:12 | 18:23 | 11h 11min | 17:46 |
| November | 06:46 | 16:46 | 9h 59min | 16:06 |
| December | 07:16 | 16:37 | 9h 21min | 15:54 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Philadelphia starts at 20:52 in June and ends at 21:04 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 16:56. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:08) and September (19:11) there are 3 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Philadelphia averages 15 rain days in July and 8 in November. A three-day exterior shoot in July statistically loses 1.5 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.2 °C | 10 | 6.0 |
| February | 2.5 °C | 10 | 6.9 |
| March | 6.1 °C | 11 | 7.9 |
| April | 11.9 °C | 11 | 8.9 |
| May | 17.4 °C | 12 | 9.7 |
| June | 22.5 °C | 12 | 11.2 |
| July | 25.7 °C | 15 | 11.6 |
| August | 24.6 °C | 12 | 10.7 |
| September | 21.2 °C | 9 | 9.0 |
| October | 15.1 °C | 9 | 7.9 |
| November | 8.4 °C | 8 | 7.4 |
| December | 4.1 °C | 11 | 5.8 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Philadelphia?
In June it starts at 19:51 and lasts 41 minutes; in December it starts at 15:54 and lasts 43 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Philadelphia get?
Between 9h 21min in December and 14h 59min in June. The 5h 38min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Philadelphia?
Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.