In July, typical afternoon highs at Colonial Williamsburg run around 89°F (hot). Mid-afternoon sun stands about 62° high, and the sun is up from 5:58 AM to 8:26 PM. Historic districts usually offer building shade on one side of the street as the sun moves.
See live sun & real shadows here →| January | 43°F |
| February | 52°F |
| March | 64°F |
| April | 73°F |
| May | 76°F |
| June | 86°F |
| July | 89°F |
| August | 81°F |
| September | 78°F |
| October | 68°F |
| November | 61°F |
| December | 49°F |
Historic districts usually offer building shade on one side of the street as the sun moves. See real building shadows over satellite imagery for any time of day: https://isthereshade.com/?anywhere&at=37.27139,-76.7
Around 8:26 PM local time in mid-July (it shifts through the year). Sunrise is about 5:58 AM.
Colonial Williamsburg · Williamsburg, VA. Data: exact sun position; climate normals from historical weather; live forecast on the interactive view.
Colonial Williamsburg is a walking experience, and walking is where the sun gets you. The historic area is a long, open corridor of streets and greens, and much of it is exposed brick, gravel, and grass with the occasional tree. On a July day in Williamsburg, the question is less "where is the shade" than "which side of the street is shaded right now," and that answer moves with the sun.
In high summer the Virginia sun is fierce and high. By 3 PM it sits about 62 degrees up and comes out of the west-southwest, so building shadows fall toward the east-northeast. Along the main axis of the historic district, that means one side of a street holds a strip of shade against its buildings and fences while the other side bakes. Cross to the shaded side and follow it, and you can chain together relief as you move between the shops, taverns, and public buildings.
Mornings are the kindest window. The sun rises around 5:58 AM in July, and until mid-morning the low light throws long shadows across the streets and greens, keeping the walk comfortable. The stretch from late morning through mid-afternoon is the hardest, when the sun is high enough that shadows shrink close to the walls. Things ease again as the sun drops toward its 8:26 PM setting and the western faces of the buildings start casting long shade eastward.
Do not count on continuous cover. The historic area is deliberately open, and the tree shade that exists is scattered around greens, along fence lines, and near the larger public buildings rather than forming a canopy over the route. Realistic ways to stay cool:
Because the shade here is a moving target tied to building orientation, the overhead view helps. The satellite shadow view shows how the shadows lie across the district at any hour.
Afternoon highs reach about 89°F in high summer, and Tidewater Virginia adds humidity that makes it feel heavier. That is genuine heat to plan around. Front-load your day: arrive near opening, do the longest open-air walking before noon, and save indoor exhibits and shaded rest for the peak hours. Carry water and reapply sunscreen, because a full day here is a lot of cumulative sun exposure even when no single stretch feels extreme.
The shoulder seasons are a gift at Colonial Williamsburg. April and October afternoons sit in the low-to-mid 70s, and the same walk that punishes you in July becomes easy. If your dates are flexible, aim for spring or fall; if they are not, walk early, chase the shaded side of the street, and let the historic buildings be your shelter through the hottest hours in Williamsburg.