Ottumwa is a city of about 24,624 people in Wapello County, Iowa, at 205 m (673 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:27 AM and sets at 6:23 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:45 PM – 6:40 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 | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 7:28 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 15m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ottumwa
At Ottumwa 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 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Ottumwa
10 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ottumwa. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointState Parks
State Park
State Park
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State Park
State ParkCovered Bridges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ottumwa is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Iowaville, about 25 km (16 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowaville | Ghost Town | 25 km (16 mi) | 2 |
| Lacey-Keosauqua State Park | State Park | 50 km (31 mi) | 2 |
| West Liberty | Ghost Town | 85 km (53 mi) | 2 |
| Big Spring | Ghost Town | 101 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Bunker Hill | Ghost Town | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Cherry Dell | Ghost Town | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Longville | Ghost Town | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Locust Creek Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 10:52 PM – 3:22 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 9:54 PM – 12:04 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:05 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:02 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
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 (66%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.