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42.4461° N87.8328° W198 mBortle 7Chicago

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Zion, IL

Lake County, Illinois · pop. 24,117

  • Sunrise 7:11 AM
  • Sunset 6:03 PM
  • Bortle 7

Zion is a city of about 24,117 people in Lake County, Illinois, at 198 m (650 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:11 AM and sets at 6:03 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:24 PM – 6:20 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Zion

Live
Sunrise
7:11 AM
Sunset
6:03 PM
Golden hour AM
6:53 AM – 7:49 AM
Golden hour PM
5:24 PM – 6:20 PM
Blue hour AM
6:42 AM – 6:53 AM
Blue hour PM
6:20 PM – 6:31 PM
Full darkness
7:37 PM – 5:38 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:24 PM / 1:02 AM
Day length
10h 52m
Sunrise azimuth
103°
Sunset azimuth
257°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Chicago. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:19 AM8:03 AM4:00 PM4:44 PM5:15 PM9h 25m
February6:49 AM7:28 AM4:44 PM5:24 PM5:53 PM10h 35m
March7:04 AM7:41 AM6:21 PM6:58 PM7:26 PM11h 54m
April6:11 AM6:49 AM6:55 PM7:33 PM8:02 PM13h 22m
May5:31 AM6:11 AM7:26 PM8:07 PM8:39 PM14h 36m
June5:14 AM5:57 AM7:48 PM8:31 PM9:06 PM15h 16m
July5:28 AM6:10 AM7:46 PM8:28 PM9:01 PM15h 00m
August5:59 AM6:38 AM7:16 PM7:54 PM8:25 PM13h 55m
September6:32 AM7:09 AM6:26 PM7:03 PM7:31 PM12h 31m
October7:05 AM7:43 AM5:33 PM6:11 PM6:39 PM11h 06m
November6:43 AM7:25 AM3:48 PM4:31 PM5:01 PM9h 47m
December7:15 AM8:00 AM3:35 PM4:20 PM4:52 PM9h 05m

Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Zion

At Zion 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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Zion

47 photo locations lie within 80 km of Zion. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

State Parks

Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State ParkState Park
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park3.7 km away · Lake County
Chain O' Lakes State ParkState Park
Chain O' Lakes State Park28 km away · Lake County
Volo Bog State Natural AreaState Park
Volo Bog State Natural Area31 km away · McHenry County
Moraine Hills State ParkState Park
Moraine Hills State Park37 km away · McHenry County
Big Foot Beach State ParkState Park
Big Foot Beach State Park51 km away · Walworth County
Lakeshore State ParkState Park
Lakeshore State Park65 km away · Milwaukee County

Lakes

Druce LakeLake
Druce Lake17 km away · Lake County · 234 m
Bangs LakeLake
Bangs Lake32 km away · Lake County · 236 m
Lake OpekaLake
Lake Opeka48 km away · Cook County · 192 m
Geneva LakeLake
Geneva Lake57 km away · Walworth County · 263 m

Lighthouses

Waukegan Harbor LightLighthouse
Waukegan Harbor Light9.6 km away · Lake County
Kenosha North Pier LightLighthouse
Kenosha North Pier Light16 km away · Kenosha County
Kenosha LightLighthouse
Kenosha Light16 km away · Kenosha County
Racine Reef LightLighthouse
Racine Reef Light32 km away · Racine County
Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving StationLighthouse
Racine Harbor Lighthouse and Life Saving Station32 km away · Racine County
Racine North Breakwater LightLighthouse
Racine North Breakwater Light32 km away · Racine County

Beaches

Ohio Street BeachBeach
Ohio Street Beach63 km away · Cook County
Bradford BeachBeach
Bradford Beach69 km away · Milwaukee County
Centennial BeachBeach
Centennial Beach80 km away · DuPage County

Botanical Gardens

Chicago Botanic GardenBotanical Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden33 km away · Cook County
Ladd ArboretumBotanical Garden
Ladd Arboretum45 km away · Cook County
Boerner Botanical GardensBotanical Garden
Boerner Botanical Gardens57 km away · Milwaukee County
Lincoln Park ConservatoryBotanical Garden
Lincoln Park Conservatory60 km away · Cook County
Garfield ParkBotanical Garden
Garfield Park63 km away · Cook County
Lilacia ParkBotanical Garden
Lilacia Park64 km away · DuPage County

Covered Bridges

Robert Parker Coffin BridgeCovered Bridge
Robert Parker Coffin Bridge33 km away · Lake County
Penny's BridgeCovered Bridge
Penny's Bridge79 km away · Waukesha County
James & Harold Moser Covered BridgeCovered Bridge
James & Harold Moser Covered Bridge79 km away · DuPage County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Zion is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Michigan, about 194 km (121 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

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Lake MichiganLake194 km (121 mi)2
Little Sable Point LightLighthouse170 km (106 mi)3
Silver Lake Sand DunesSand Dunes173 km (107 mi)3
Silver Lake State ParkState Park174 km (108 mi)3
Yellowstone Lake State ParkState Park179 km (111 mi)3
MillvilleGhost Town182 km (113 mi)3
Apple River Canyon State ParkState Park182 km (113 mi)3
Pentwater South Pierhead LightLighthouse186 km (116 mi)3
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
March4:32 AM – 5:22 AM0.815°
April2:24 AM – 4:24 AM2.018°
May12:35 AM – 3:25 AM2.819°
June10:46 PM – 2:56 AM4.219°
July10:35 PM – 1:35 AM3.019°
August9:42 PM – 11:32 PM1.818°
September8:39 PM – 9:29 PM0.815°

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Zion today?
Today the morning golden hour is 6:53 AM – 7:49 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:24 PM – 6:20 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Zion in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:11 PM and blue hour ends around 6:39 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Zion?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 8:33 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:22 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Zion?
Good options nearby include Waukegan Harbor Light, Kenosha North Pier Light, Kenosha Light. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Zion?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Lake Michigan (194 km (121 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Zion?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (51°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.