Tool
First Sunrise in America: Maine Locations & Times
Five places in Maine, compared morning by morning: the earliest changes with the season. This works it out from the sun’s position rather than repeating the postcard version.
Sunrise in Maine depends on the date and where you stand. Compare Cadillac Mountain, Mars Hill, Katahdin, West Quoddy Head and Eastport for the same morning. This five-location comparison helps explain the early-light question without treating a small set of Maine places as a complete survey of the United States.
Today: Friday, October 2, 2026
Of these five places, the earliest sunrise is at West Quoddy Head at 6:26 AM EDT, 20s ahead of Eastport.
| Place | Sunrise | Behind | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Quoddy Head | 6:26 AM EDT | leader | 15 m |
| Eastport | 6:26 AM EDT | +20s | 10 m |
| Mars Hill | 6:26 AM EDT | +27s | 533 m |
| Katahdin | 6:27 AM EDT | +1m 7s | 1606 m |
| Cadillac Mountain | 6:27 AM EDT | +1m 28s | 466 m |
The first light drifts north, then back
It is one movement, not three separate claims. The sun rises south of east in winter and swings well north of east by midsummer, so the earliest sunrise among these five Maine places moves up the coast through spring and comes back down through autumn.
- Cadillac MountainNov 18 to Jan 24
- West Quoddy HeadtodayJan 25 to Mar 15
- Mars HillMar 16 to Sep 27
- West Quoddy HeadtodaySep 28 to Nov 17
Katahdin and Eastport are on the map but never lead in 2026, however high or however far east they are.
Who leads, and when
Computed day by day for 2026. The last column is the biggest lead each place opens up during its stretch, which is a fairer measure than the margin on the day it takes over: that is always a second or two, because that is what a changeover is.
| Dates | First light | Biggest lead |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 18 to Jan 24 | Cadillac Mountain | 39s |
| Jan 25 to Mar 15 | West Quoddy Head | 30s |
| Mar 16 to Sep 27 | Mars Hill | 2m 47s |
| Sep 28 to Nov 17 | West Quoddy Head | 30s |
The contenders
- West Quoddy Head: The easternmost point of the contiguous United States. Almost at sea level, so it wins on longitude alone.
- Eastport: The easternmost city in the United States, a few miles north of West Quoddy Head and a few seconds behind it.
- Mars Hill: Higher and much further north than Cadillac, close to the New Brunswick border. Wins for roughly half the year, which surprises most people.
- Katahdin: The highest point in Maine by a wide margin, but far enough west that its height never quite pays for the longitude.
- Cadillac Mountain: The tallest mountain on the Atlantic coast of the United States, and the one with the famous claim. Its height is doing the work, not its longitude.
Compare Maine sunrise times
Choose the date of your visit and read each location’s time in Eastern time. Keep the selected date with the result when comparing screenshots or planning an early start. A time calculated for a summer morning cannot be carried into a winter trip.
The five locations represent different combinations of latitude, longitude and elevation. The comparison should be read within that named set. If two calculated times are close, the apparent precision of the clock does not establish which observer will first see the Sun.
Sunrise is different from first light
Twilight begins before the Sun appears. Conventional sunrise refers to the Sun’s upper edge reaching the horizon under stated assumptions; trees, terrain, observer height and atmospheric conditions can change the view from an actual place. A summit and a sea-level waterfront therefore need more than a place name to make a precise comparison.
Use the times to understand the morning’s timing, with the viewpoint and route considered separately. The calculation does not describe cloud cover, an unobstructed view or the light available along a trail before dawn.
Plan access separately from the clock
Cadillac Mountain, Katahdin and the coastal locations involve different access arrangements. A sunrise time does not establish that a summit road, park entrance or private viewpoint is available before dawn. For Cadillac, read Acadia’s road and facility information for the season of your trip.
Start with the Acadia National Park, Maine guide for a park visit, or the Lubec, Maine guide for the West Quoddy area. Allow the actual destination to determine the route rather than choosing a difficult journey merely for a small difference between calculated times.
Read the date and calculation details
Every result needs a selected date, named location and calculation basis. If a result is unavailable, use the U.S. Naval Observatory’s linked information for the meaning of sunrise and twilight; an old comparison cannot answer which of these places is earliest on a different date.
The seasonal display describes only the five compared locations and the specified calculation year. It cannot establish a nationwide record or predict whether the Sun will be visible through tomorrow’s weather.
Sources: September 14, 2026 — U.S. Naval Observatory, Acadia National Park.
Common questions
Does Cadillac Mountain really get the first sunrise in America?
Only for part of the year, and by a much smaller margin than the claim usually suggests. Among the five Maine places this tool compares, Cadillac is earliest for roughly ten weeks around midwinter; for most of the year Mars Hill in Aroostook County or West Quoddy Head at Lubec is earlier. The comparison covers those five places only, so it does not settle a nationwide record.
Why does the answer change through the year?
The sun does not rise due east. In summer it rises well north of east, which favors places further north, and in winter it rises south of east, which favors places further south and east. Elevation matters too: standing higher lets you see over the horizon sooner, which is worth about five minutes on Cadillac and ten on Katahdin.
When is the best time to watch sunrise from Cadillac Mountain?
By car, only while the Cadillac Summit Road is open: Acadia lists its paved roads as open from April 15 to December 1, and in 2026 a vehicle reservation is required from May 20 to October 25. Late April to mid-May and late October to November are the open-road weeks without a reservation. From December to mid-April there is no vehicle access to the summit. Check the park’s hours and reservation pages for the year of your trip, because the dates change from season to season.
Where is the easternmost point in the United States?
West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine, is the easternmost point of the contiguous United States. It is almost at sea level, so its early sunrises come from longitude alone rather than from height.
Planning a Cadillac sunrise? Check Acadia National Park first — the Summit Road closes for winter, and a sunrise vehicle reservation is required for much of the year.
