Galesburg is a city of about 31,273 people in Knox County, Illinois, at 235 m (771 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:19 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 PM – 6:32 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 15m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Galesburg
At Galesburg the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (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 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Galesburg
26 photo locations lie within 80 km of Galesburg. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Galesburg is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is White Oak Springs, about 124 km (77 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak Springs | Ghost Town | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Lacey-Keosauqua State Park | State Park | 138 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Bunker Hill | Ghost Town | 144 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Iowaville | Ghost Town | 152 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Dell | Ghost Town | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area | State Park | 25 km (16 mi) | 3 |
| Midway | Ghost Town | 30 km (18 mi) | 3 |
| Big River State Forest | State Park | 46 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:18 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:39 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:46 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:56 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:53 PM – 7:53 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.