Mason City is a city of about 27,366 people in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, at 344 m (1,129 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:23 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:44 PM – 6:41 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 | 7:42 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:39 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Mason City
At Mason City the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Mason City
8 photo locations lie within 80 km of Mason City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Mason City is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sexton, about 73 km (45 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
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sexton | Ghost Town | 73 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 75 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Donnan | Ghost Town | 111 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Backbone State Park | State Park | 146 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Chicken Ridge Scenic Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Driftless Area National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Spook Cave | Cave | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Littleport | Ghost Town | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:02 AM – 3:42 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:05 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 11:03 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:07 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% 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.