Muscatine is a city of about 23,968 people in Muscatine County, Iowa, at 177 m (581 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:22 AM and sets at 6:17 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:34 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 | 7:29 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 5:31 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:24 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 12m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Muscatine
At Muscatine 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 Muscatine
16 photo locations lie within 80 km of Muscatine. 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 Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Muscatine is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lacey-Keosauqua State Park, about 112 km (69 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lacey-Keosauqua State Park | State Park | 112 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Iowaville | Ghost Town | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Backbone State Park | State Park | 141 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Elkport | Ghost Town | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Littleport | Ghost Town | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Bunker Hill | Ghost Town | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Chicken Ridge Scenic Overlook Park | Scenic Viewpoint | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 2:34 AM – 4:34 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:32 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:20 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.2 | 20° |
| August | 9:50 PM – 11:50 PM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 9:50 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
| October | 7:56 PM – 7:56 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
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.