Geneva is a city of about 21,806 people in Kane County, Illinois, at 217 m (712 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:12 AM and sets at 6:05 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:27 PM – 6:23 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 | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:27 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 09m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Geneva
At Geneva 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 Geneva
55 photo locations lie within 80 km of Geneva. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Lighthouses
LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Geneva is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bourbonais, about 126 km (78 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 | 126 km (78 mi) | 3 |
| Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park | State Park | 128 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Cameron National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 129 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Apple River Canyon State Park | State Park | 157 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Millville | Ghost Town | 157 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Yellowstone Lake State Park | State Park | 168 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| Middle Fork River Forest Preserve | Dark Sky Place | 169 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| Charles Mound | Mountain Peak | 173 km (108 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:34 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| June | 10:43 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:33 PM – 1:43 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:42 PM | 2.0 | 18° |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:40 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.
