Urbandale is a city of about 44,062 people in Polk County, Iowa, at 288 m (945 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:33 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 PM – 6:45 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 | 7:40 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 30m |
| February | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 54m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:03 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 11m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Urbandale
At Urbandale 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 Urbandale
25 photo locations lie within 80 km of Urbandale. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
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Covered BridgeNational Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Urbandale is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Springbrook State Park, about 64 km (40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springbrook State Park | State Park | 64 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Anita State Park | State Park | 91 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Big Spring | Ghost Town | 106 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Queen City | Ghost Town | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Black Hawk State Park | State Park | 131 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| West Liberty | Ghost Town | 136 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Iowaville | Ghost Town | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Sexton | Ghost Town | 165 km (102 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| June | 11:03 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 10:53 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:03 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:01 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and January 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.