Located in Cook County, Illinois, Ohio Street Beach is a beach at about 176 m (577 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 1.1 km (0.7 mi) ENE of Near North Side.
Ohio Street Beach is an urban beach in Chicago, in the U.S. state of Illinois. It faces north. In Lonely Planet's 2022 list of the nine "best beaches in Chicago for a taste of the lake life", Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu said Ohio Street Beach was the city's best for swimming.From the Wikipedia article “Ohio Street Beach”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ohio Street Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:16 AM | 57° ENE | 8:30 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 122° ESE | 4:23 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 4:59 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 4:56 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 09m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Ohio Street Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 9 (inner-city sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:22 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:31 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 1:40 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:39 PM – 11:39 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:37 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 9 Bortle 9 — Inner-city sky. Only the Moon, planets and a few bright stars are visible. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 17.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 62 | 64 | 80 | 80 | 92 | 98 | 103 | 96 | 95 | 86 | 74 | 68 |
| Low °F | -24 | -15 | -8 | 21 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 49 | 38 | 22 | 12 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Fog and marine layers can make minimalist images; don't give up on grey days.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ohio Street Beach, closest first.
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
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Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ohio Street Beach?
What time is golden hour at Ohio Street Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ohio Street Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ohio Street Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ohio Street Beach?
How far is Ohio Street Beach from Near North Side?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.