Emporia is a city of about 24,649 people in Lyon County, Kansas, at 348 m (1,142 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:39 AM and sets at 6:41 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:05 PM – 6:58 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 | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:37 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 6:01 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:36 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 30m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Emporia
At Emporia the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Emporia
8 photo locations lie within 80 km of Emporia. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lighthouses
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Emporia is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, about 26 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 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 26 km (16 mi) | 2 |
| Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill | Cave | 40 km (25 mi) | 2 |
| Kaw Mission | State Park | 40 km (25 mi) | 2 |
| Cross Timbers State Park | State Park | 74 km (46 mi) | 2 |
| Butcher Falls | Waterfall | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Irving | Ghost Town | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Osro Falls | Waterfall | 152 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Alcove Springs | Waterfall | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| March | 4:41 AM – 6:01 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:36 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.7 | 23° |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:59 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:32 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:29 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 9:05 PM – 10:35 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:36 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.