The answer depends on the date and on what you count. On January 1, the first sunrise in the United States outside the territories is on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory. At other times of year the sun can reach West Quoddy Head or Mars Hill, also in Maine, first, and the sources disagree on the exact dates. If U.S. territories count, Wake Island and Guam see the sun well before Maine does.
The short answer
- January 1, outside U.S. territories: Cadillac Mountain, at about 7:05 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, per the Naval Observatory. Its times are rounded to the nearest minute.
- Including territories: Peacock Point on Wake Island, at about 7:25 a.m. local time, per the Naval Observatory, which says the island has no residents beyond occasional government employees or contractors.
- First inhabited U.S. land: Inarajan, Guam, at about 6:45 a.m. local time, per the Naval Observatory.
- At sea level: Lubec, Maine, and Siasconset on Nantucket see sunrise at about the same time, per the Naval Observatory.
- Rest of the year: It depends on the date. See the next sections.
The Maine contenders
- Cadillac Mountain. At 1,530 feet, Yankee magazine calls it the highest point on the North Atlantic seacoast. The maine.com calculator lists it at 466 meters, which is the same height. Its height, not its longitude, is what gives it early sunrises.
- West Quoddy Head. The easternmost point of the contiguous U.S., per maine.com, at about 15 meters above the sea. It leads on longitude alone.
- Mars Hill. A higher mountain farther north, near the New Brunswick border. Yankee gives its height as 1,660 feet, and maine.com lists it at 533 meters, which is about 1,750 feet. We have not resolved that gap.
- Mount Katahdin. About one minute behind Cadillac on January 1, per the Naval Observatory. Maine.com says it is too far west for its height to make up the difference, and it never led in the calculator’s 2026 results.
Who wins in each season
Two sources give different calendars. According to Yankee magazine, based on a study by Judson Hale and Blanton Wiggin of The Old Farmer’s Almanac:
- Cadillac Mountain: about January 11 to March 6 and October 7 to November 29.
- West Quoddy Head: March 7 to 24 and September 19 to October 6.
- Mars Hill: the winner for much of the rest of the year, with Katahdin occasionally first when New Brunswick hills block Mars Hill for a few minutes.
The maine.com calculator gives these leaders for 2026:
- Cadillac Mountain: November 18 to January 24, with a biggest lead of 39 seconds.
- West Quoddy Head: January 25 to March 15 and September 28 to November 17, with a biggest lead of 30 seconds.
- Mars Hill: March 16 to September 27, with a biggest lead of 2 minutes 47 seconds.
The calculator says the National Park Service puts Cadillac’s first-sunrise window at October 7 to March 6, and that its own results differ from that range. A search result for Wikipedia’s Cadillac Mountain page gives the same October 7 to March 6 window and says West Quoddy Head leads for a few weeks around the equinoxes.
Why the sources disagree
- Terrain. Yankee says hills on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick can block the sun for up to five minutes, which is why Cadillac beats West Quoddy Head on some mornings. The calculator says its figures do not account for obstructions.
- Tiny margins. The calculator calls Cadillac and West Quoddy Head too close to call at 12 seconds apart on November 11, 2026. The Naval Observatory says refraction varies with temperature and pressure, and that a 100-foot change in height shifts sunrise by about a minute.
- What counts as first. Answers change depending on whether you mean sea level or a summit, the whole country or the lower 48, and sunrise or first light.
- Different years and methods. The sources calculate for different dates and use different assumptions, so their windows do not line up.
Seeing the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain
According to the maine.com page, paved roads to the summit are open April 15 to December 1 in 2026, a vehicle reservation is required May 20 to October 25, and there is no vehicle access to the summit from December to mid-April. That page’s source date is earlier than the date we read it, so check the National Park Service before you plan a trip.
First sunrise in the US: FAQ
Where does the sun rise first in the United States?
Including territories, Peacock Point on Wake Island, per the Naval Observatory. Outside the territories on January 1, it is Cadillac Mountain in Maine.
Is Cadillac Mountain the first sunrise in the US?
Only during part of the year. The National Park Service window is October 7 to March 6, but Yankee and maine.com give different dates.
Where does the sun rise first in Maine?
It depends on the date. Cadillac Mountain, West Quoddy Head and Mars Hill each lead for part of the year.
What is the easternmost point in the contiguous US?
West Quoddy Head in Lubec, Maine, according to maine.com.
Our details come from the U.S. Naval Observatory, Yankee magazine and the maine.com first sunrise calculator. We saw Wikipedia’s Cadillac Mountain summary only as a search result. We have not independently verified these accounts, and the dates and access details change from year to year.