Wilmette is a city of about 27,413 people in Cook County, Illinois, at 194 m (636 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:10 AM and sets at 6:03 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:25 PM – 6:20 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 | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:58 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:58 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 08m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Wilmette
At Wilmette 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 303° (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 Wilmette
64 photo locations lie within 80 km of Wilmette. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
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Lighthouses
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LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Wilmette is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Bourbonais, about 178 km (111 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbonais | Ghost Town | 178 km (111 mi) | 3 |
| Cameron National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 179 km (111 mi) | 3 |
| Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park | State Park | 181 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Brisco | Ghost Town | 187 km (116 mi) | 3 |
| Middle Fork River Forest Preserve | Dark Sky Place | 189 km (117 mi) | 3 |
| Chatterton | Ghost Town | 190 km (118 mi) | 3 |
| Millville | Ghost Town | 196 km (122 mi) | 3 |
| Apple River Canyon State Park | State Park | 196 km (122 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:23 AM – 4:23 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:32 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:01 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:31 PM – 1:41 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 11:40 PM | 2.0 | 18° |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:38 PM | 1.0 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (85%). August is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.