DeKalb is a city of about 43,211 people in DeKalb County, Illinois, at 268 m (879 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 | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 36m |
| 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 | 6:58 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 09m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in DeKalb
At DeKalb 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.
Best photo spots near DeKalb
38 photo locations lie within 80 km of DeKalb. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central DeKalb is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bourbonais, about 98 km (61 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbonais | Ghost Town | 98 km (61 mi) | 3 |
| Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park | State Park | 99 km (62 mi) | 3 |
| Cameron National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 110 km (69 mi) | 3 |
| Apple River Canyon State Park | State Park | 122 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Millville | Ghost Town | 122 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Yellowstone Lake State Park | State Park | 137 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Charles Mound | Mountain Peak | 138 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Bellevue State Park | State Park | 142 km (89 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:36 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:05 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:45 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.0 | 18° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:42 PM | 1.0 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.