Ames is a city of about 65,060 people in Story County, Iowa, at 287 m (942 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:48 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:41 AM | 8:24 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 27m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:16 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 34m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 14m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 08m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ames
At Ames 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 25° in winter.
Best photo spots near Ames
14 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ames. 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 ParkBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ames is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Springbrook State Park, about 75 km (47 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springbrook State Park | State Park | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Anita State Park | State Park | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Black Hawk State Park | State Park | 119 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Sexton | Ghost Town | 123 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 144 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Queen City | Ghost Town | 146 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Big Spring | Ghost Town | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Donnan | Ghost Town | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:55 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| June | 11:04 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.0 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.