Junction City is a city of about 24,621 people in Geary County, Kansas, at 337 m (1,106 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:42 AM and sets at 6:43 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:06 PM – 7:00 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 | 7:45 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:40 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:37 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Junction City
At Junction City 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Junction City
7 photo locations lie within 80 km of Junction City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Junction City is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kaw Mission, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaw Mission | State Park | 50 km (31 mi) | 2 |
| Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill | Cave | 50 km (31 mi) | 2 |
| Irving | Ghost Town | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Alcove Springs | Waterfall | 81 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Mushroom Rock State Park | State Park | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Kanopolis State Park | State Park | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Williams | Ghost Town | 125 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:03 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:47 PM – 2:37 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 9:08 PM – 10:28 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
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 (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.