Rockford is a city of about 148,278 people in Winnebago County, Illinois, at 218 m (715 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:08 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:30 PM – 6:26 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 | 7:23 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rockford
At Rockford 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 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rockford
22 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rockford. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rockford is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bussey Lake, about 175 km (109 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 175 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 178 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Elkport | Ghost Town | 186 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Littleport | Ghost Town | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Fordham | Ghost Town | 197 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Wildcat Mountain State Park | State Park | 199 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Chicken Ridge Scenic Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:29 AM – 4:29 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 12:38 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:58 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:38 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:33 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 (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.