12 OF THE BEST PLACES TO VIEW THE 2024 TOTAL ECLIPSE
THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF APRIL 8, 2024,
will dazzle everyone who views it. And by using maps like the one on the next page, it’s easy to find the specific cities in Mexico and the U.S. where totality will grace the skies. But where are the best locations to set up shop? That answer is less straightforward.
You’ll surely want to be near the eclipse’s center line, where totality lasts the longest. But not every place along the center line makes for an ideal viewing site. So, here are 12 great locations you should really consider for the 2024 total solar eclipse, starting in Mexico and working our way to the Northeastern U.S.
I’ll also offer another suggestion when choosing a site: Carefully consider the population. All things being equal, a town of 10,000 is more likely to have event-related problems than a city of 75,000. Small towns with one main road may suffer hours of gridlock. If you opt to travel to such a location, get there early, perhaps even a day or two ahead of the eclipse. (Remember: April 8, 2024, is a Monday, and most people will be free the entire weekend beforehand.)
Finally, if you’d like to preview exactly what the eclipse will look like from any location on the big day, visit www.eclipse2024.org/ eclipse-simulator/ for an impressively accurate interactive view.
Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
The Moon’s umbra touches the coast of the United Mexican States at 11:07
Mexican Pacific Daylight Time (MPDT), less than 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Mazatlán, which was one of the main destinations for travelers viewing the July 11, 1991, total solar eclipse. This city previously showed it can host a large influx of travelers, so it’s a decent bet that it will be a prime destination again.
Eclipse starts: 9:51:28 A.M. MPDT Maximum eclipse: 11:09:39 A.M. MPDT Eclipse ends: 12:32:11 P.M. MPDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 69.1° Duration of totality: 4 minutes 18 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 123.7 miles
(199.1 km)
Radar Base, Texas
For eclipse chasers who want the greatest possible amount of totality without leaving the U.S., consider Radar Base, which lies right on the U.S.–Mexico border. While its name might imply a military base, the settlement is actually a small town of several hundred residents. That number will balloon on eclipse day, so be sure to get there early.
Eclipse starts: 12:10:26 P.M. CDT
Maximum eclipse: 1:29:53 P.M. CDT
Eclipse ends: 2:51:30 P.M. CDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 68.5° Duration of totality: 4 minutes 27 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 120.9 miles (195.5 km)
Hillsboro, Texas
Although not a huge city, Hillsboro is an easy destination, lying on Interstate 35 where I-35E and I-35W split south of Dallas. It also sits right along the center line of totality, which will help maximize your time under the Moon’s umbra.
Eclipse starts: 12:21:23 P.M. CDT
Maximum eclipse: 1:40:53 P.M. CDT
Eclipse ends: 3:01:16 P.M. CDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 65.5° Duration of totality: 4 minutes 23 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 119.2 miles (191.8 km)
Russellville, Arkansas
With a population near 30,000, Russellville has enough resources to host a moderate influx of visitors for the eclipse. Those eclipse chasers who prefer to observe the event outside the city could head for nearby Mount Nebo, a flat-topped mountain that rises 1,350 feet (410 meters) above the surrounding valley.
Eclipse starts: 12:33:08 P.M. CDT
Maximum eclipse: 1:52:10 P.M. CDT
Eclipse ends: 3:10:46 P.M. CDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 61°
Duration of totality: 4 minutes 11 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 117.2 miles (188.6 km)
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
The largest city in southeastern Missouri that will experience totality is Cape Girardeau, with 80,000 residents. It lies on the bank of the Mississippi River and is easily accessible from Interstate 55. For an additional four seconds of totality, eclipseophiles can head 10 miles (16 km) northwest on Route 72 to Jackson.
Eclipse starts: 12:41:51 P.M. CDT
Maximum eclipse: 2:00:21 P.M. CDT
Eclipse ends: 3:17:26 P.M. CDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 57.3° Duration of totality: 4 minutes 6 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 115.5 miles (185.9 km)
Indianapolis, Indiana
The umbra will cover a wide swath of Indiana, but most of the attention will focus on the state’s capital city. Downtown Indianapolis is a metropolis served by four interstate highways and will surely be one of the most sought-after destinations. It offers plentiful lodging, excellent cuisine, and many attractions for travelers.
Eclipse starts: 1:50:31 P.M. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:07:56 P.M. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:23:10 P.M. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 53° Duration of totality: 3 minutes 49 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 114 miles (183.4 km)
Cleveland, Ohio
With a metro population of more than 2 million, this city will host a multitude of eclipse chasers. Get there a couple of days early and fill the waiting time with visits to some of Cleveland’s highlights, including the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Eclipse starts: 1:59:20 P.M. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:15:37 P.M. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:28:57 P.M. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 48.6° Duration of totality: 3 minutes 49 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 111.9 miles (180.1 km)
Erie, Pennsylvania
The only large city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be graced by the Moon’s umbra is Erie, which, with its 100,000 residents, sits on the shore of the Great Lake that bears its name. It’s certain that many eclipse chasers from Pittsburgh, 130 miles (210 km) to the south via Interstate 79, will visit for the event.
Eclipse starts: 2:02:23 P.M. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:18:12 P.M. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:30:48 P.M. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 47° Duration of totality: 3 minutes 42 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 111.2 miles (179 km)
Niagara Falls, New York
If the Northeastern U.S. has good weather on eclipse day, the most picturesque images of the event might come from Niagara Falls. One of the best perspectives will be the outlook called Terrapin Point, where the Sun will hang halfway up in the southwest — directly over the Falls! Science buffs who observe or photograph the eclipse from this area surely will want to visit the Nikola Tesla Monument within Queen Victoria Park on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. It lies only 0.3 mile (0.5 km) north of Terrapin Point.
Eclipse starts: 2:04:50 P.M. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:20:02 P.M. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:31:57 P.M. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 45.6° Duration of totality: 3 minutes 31 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 110.8 miles (178.4 km)
Buffalo, New York
The largest city in New York to experience the Moon’s umbra is Buffalo, with its metropolitan population of 1.1 million. The center line passes right through downtown, so expect all activity to come to a screeching halt in midafternoon. Travelers desiring information about the eclipse might want to check with the staff of Zygmunt Planetarium, which is part of the Buffalo Museum of Science.
Eclipse starts: 2:04:54 P.M. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:20:11 P.M. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:32:07 P.M. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 45.6° Duration of totality: 3 minutes 45 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 110.7 miles (178.2 km)
Sherbrooke, Quebéc, Canada
Those Canadians who may not wish to cross the border can opt for Sherbrooke, which is only a 100-mile (161 km) drive from Montréal. With a metro population of nearly a quartermillion, Sherbrooke offers plenty of lodging and other amenities. A quick 10-mile (16 km) drive south will bring you to the center line and five additional seconds of totality.
Eclipse starts: 2:16:35 P.M. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:29:23 P.M. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:38:13 P.M. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 38.8° Duration of totality: 3 minutes 25 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 107.8 miles (173.5 km)
Mars Hill, Maine
To be honest, Mars Hill is a small town of some 1,500 residents. But just think of it: an amateur astronomer watching the Moon cover the Sun from a place named Mars Hill? Terrific. This location also is one of the last spots in the U.S. to see totality. But if you’re one of those more serious types, just venture 20 miles (32 km) south for an additional 10 seconds of totality.
Eclipse starts: 2:22:20 P.M. EDT
Maximum eclipse: 3:33:41 P.M. EDT
Eclipse ends: 4:40:52 P.M. EDT
Sun’s altitude at maximum eclipse: 35.2° Duration of totality: 3 minutes 12 seconds Width of Moon’s shadow: 106.2 miles (171 km)
Drive safely and don’t forget your eclipse glasses. I wish you all clear skies! — M.E.B.
A long wait after 2024
For those wanting to view another total solar eclipse in the contiguous U.S. after the 2024 event, it’ll be a 20-year wait — until Aug. 23, 2044 — for the next one. Plus, that eclipse is visible only in northeastern Montana and a tiny segment of North Dakota. Its greatest duration of totality, 2 minutes 4 seconds, happens over Canada’s Northwest Territories.
At the intersection of the center line of the 2044 eclipse and the U.S.-Canada border, totality is 20 seconds shorter: 1 minute 44 seconds. The small towns near that point, namely Hogeland and Turner, Montana, experience totalities only a few tenths of a second less than that. And the Montana cities of Chinook, Zurich, Harlem, Dodson, and Malta lose only another second.
After 2044, three more total solar eclipses track through the contiguous U.S. in the 21st century. So, if 2044’s eclipse disappoints you, you’ll be thrilled to know that another happens less than one year later. The event, on Aug. 12, 2045, is a truly spectacular cross-country eclipse, with totality lasting from
4 minutes 23 seconds on the Northern California coast to an amazing maximum of 6 minutes 6 seconds at Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Next, the center line of the total solar eclipse on March 30, 2052, lands only on Florida and Georgia. But totality for that small path will only last between 3 minutes 30 seconds in Savannah, Georgia, and 3 minutes 44 seconds near Laguna Beach, Florida. The final 21st-century total solar eclipse whose path intersects the contiguous U.S. occurs May 11, 2078. Like the eclipse in 2052, this one also tracks through the southeastern U.S. Totality will last 5 minutes 17 seconds in Nags Head, North Carolina.
For those of you who stood beneath the Moon’s shadow in 2017, no convincing is needed to get you to seek out darkness in 2024. If you can catch it, an eclipse is a sight you’ll never rate as anything other than awesome — in the truest sense of the word. Just be sure to check the weather first!