Belvidere is a city of about 25,132 people in Boone County, Illinois, at 238 m (781 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:14 AM and sets at 6:07 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:29 PM – 6:25 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:22 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Belvidere
At Belvidere 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 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Belvidere
27 photo locations lie within 80 km of Belvidere. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
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State Park
State ParkLakes
Beaches
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeNational Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Belvidere is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bussey Lake, about 195 km (121 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Millville | Ghost Town | 101 km (63 mi) | 3 |
| Apple River Canyon State Park | State Park | 101 km (63 mi) | 3 |
| Yellowstone Lake State Park | State Park | 108 km (67 mi) | 3 |
| Charles Mound | Mountain Peak | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park | State Park | 121 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Bourbonais | Ghost Town | 122 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:28 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:37 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:32 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.