Elkhart is a city of about 52,348 people in Elkhart County, Indiana, at 229 m (751 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:02 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:18 PM – 7:14 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 | 8:09 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:09 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 7:40 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:57 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 6:10 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 6:23 AM | 7:04 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:51 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 7:25 AM | 8:02 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:57 AM | 8:34 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 8:05 AM | 8:49 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 10m |
Local time in America/Indiana/Indianapolis, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Elkhart
At Elkhart 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 Elkhart
22 photo locations lie within 80 km of Elkhart. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
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LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Elkhart is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Coldwater Lake, about 84 km (52 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater Lake | Lake | 84 km (52 mi) | 3 |
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | 133 km (83 mi) | 3 |
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | 159 km (99 mi) | 3 |
| Chatterton | Ghost Town | 177 km (110 mi) | 3 |
| Brisco | Ghost Town | 183 km (114 mi) | 3 |
| Sloan | Ghost Town | 198 km (123 mi) | 3 |
| Portland Arch | Natural Arch | 199 km (124 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:14 AM – 6:14 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 3:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 1:13 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| June | 11:32 PM – 3:52 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 11:22 PM – 2:32 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 10:32 PM – 12:32 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 9:30 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
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 (78%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.