Peoria is a city of about 115,070 people in Peoria County, Illinois, at 153 m (502 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:12 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:35 PM – 6:29 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 | 8:03 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Peoria
At Peoria 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 Peoria
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Peoria. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Peoria is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is White Oak Springs, about 138 km (86 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 | 138 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Bunker Hill | Ghost Town | 191 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Sand Ridge State Forest | State Park | 39 km (24 mi) | 3 |
| Cameron National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 44 km (27 mi) | 3 |
| Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 50 km (31 mi) | 3 |
| Snakeden Hollow State Fish and Wildlife Area | State Park | 54 km (34 mi) | 3 |
| Midway | Ghost Town | 55 km (34 mi) | 3 |
| Bourbonais | Ghost Town | 72 km (45 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:41 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.7 | 20° |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:51 PM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 7:50 PM – 7:50 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
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 (69%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.