McHenry is a city of about 26,657 people in McHenry County, Illinois, at 243 m (797 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:12 AM and sets at 6:05 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:26 PM – 6:22 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 | 7:20 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:27 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in McHenry
At McHenry 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near McHenry
47 photo locations lie within 80 km of McHenry. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
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LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central McHenry is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Millville, about 147 km (91 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millville | Ghost Town | 147 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Apple River Canyon State Park | State Park | 147 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Yellowstone Lake State Park | State Park | 148 km (92 mi) | 3 |
| Bourbonais | Ghost Town | 158 km (98 mi) | 3 |
| Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park | State Park | 159 km (99 mi) | 3 |
| Charles Mound | Mountain Peak | 163 km (101 mi) | 3 |
| Pendarvis | Ghost Town | 167 km (104 mi) | 3 |
| Governor Dodge State Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:26 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:45 PM – 2:55 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:35 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:30 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.