Rock Island is a city of about 38,620 people in Rock Island County, Illinois, at 171 m (561 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:20 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 | 7:27 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:37 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 11m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rock Island
At Rock Island the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 25° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rock Island
21 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rock Island. 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 ParkBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Natural Arches
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rock Island is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, about 147 km (92 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lacey-Keosauqua State Park | State Park | 147 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Elkport | Ghost Town | 149 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Backbone State Park | State Park | 149 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Iowaville | Ghost Town | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Littleport | Ghost Town | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 159 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Chicken Ridge Scenic Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | 160 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:32 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:30 AM – 3:40 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:48 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:48 PM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:48 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
| October | 7:54 PM – 7:54 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
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 (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.