Sioux City is a city of about 82,821 people in Woodbury County, Iowa, at 366 m (1,201 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:45 AM and sets at 6:37 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:58 PM – 6:55 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 | 7:53 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:27 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:00 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:18 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 05m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Sioux City
At Sioux City 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 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Sioux City
6 photo locations lie within 80 km of Sioux City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Sioux City is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Niobrara State Park, about 138 km (86 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niobrara State Park | State Park | 138 km (86 mi) | 1 |
| Mars | Ghost Town | 142 km (89 mi) | 1 |
| Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 183 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Karl E. Mundt National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 184 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Wheeler | Ghost Town | 192 km (119 mi) | 1 |
| Rock Falls | Waterfall | 196 km (122 mi) | 1 |
| Lucky Valley | Ghost Town | 40 km (25 mi) | 2 |
| John G. Neihardt State Historic Site | State Park | 56 km (35 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:07 AM – 5:57 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:59 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 1:10 AM – 4:00 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:21 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 11:10 PM – 2:10 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:17 PM – 12:07 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:14 PM – 10:04 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.