Iowa City is a city of about 74,220 people in Johnson County, Iowa, at 204 m (669 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:19 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:36 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 | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 10m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Iowa City
At Iowa City 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 Iowa City
8 photo locations lie within 80 km of Iowa City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Iowa City is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Iowaville, about 102 km (64 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowaville | Ghost Town | 102 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Backbone State Park | State Park | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Lacey-Keosauqua State Park | State Park | 112 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Elkport | Ghost Town | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Littleport | Ghost Town | 122 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Chicken Ridge Scenic Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Donnan | Ghost Town | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:14 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:44 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 8:52 PM – 9:52 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.