What the time means
Sunrise is the instant the upper edge of the Sun appears above an ideal, unobstructed horizon. It is not the start of dawn. Civil, nautical and astronomical dawn occur earlier and use different solar-altitude thresholds.
Plan for a real viewpoint
A hill or building can delay the first view of the Sun. City reference coordinates may differ from your beach or trail. Use the coordinate calculator for another point, and read sunrise azimuth clockwise from north: east is 90 degrees.
Compare dates fairly
Use the same calendar date when comparing cities. Each result is shown in its own time zone, including daylight-saving time. A clock-time difference between two countries is not simply a difference in the astronomical event.