Lawrence is a city of about 93,917 people in Douglas County, Kansas, at 263 m (863 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:36 AM and sets at 6:37 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:00 PM – 6:53 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 | 7:39 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:22 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:33 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:18 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Lawrence
At Lawrence 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 Lawrence
18 photo locations lie within 80 km of Lawrence. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Lawrence is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge, about 94 km (58 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 94 km (58 mi) | 2 |
| Kaw Mission | State Park | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill | Cave | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Big Lake State Park | State Park | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Irving | Ghost Town | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Kings Grove | Ghost Town | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Indian Cave State Park | State Park | 145 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| St. Deroin | Ghost Town | 146 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:33 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:35 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:41 PM – 2:31 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% 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.