Macomb is a city of about 18,547 people in McDonough County, Illinois, at 215 m (705 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:20 AM and sets at 6:17 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:34 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 | 8:06 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 18m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Macomb
At Macomb 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Macomb
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Macomb. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkBotanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
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National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Macomb is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is White Oak Springs, about 65 km (41 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 | 65 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Bunker Hill | Ghost Town | 96 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Lacey-Keosauqua State Park | State Park | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Dell | Ghost Town | 117 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Iowaville | Ghost Town | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site | State Park | 143 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Mark Twain State Park | State Park | 144 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Longville | Ghost Town | 165 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:30 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.3 | 21° |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:21 AM | 4.7 | 21° |
| July | 10:32 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.5 | 21° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:57 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:55 PM – 7:55 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.