Topeka is a city of about 125,963 people in Shawnee County, Kansas, at 288 m (945 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:38 AM and sets at 6:38 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:02 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 | 7:41 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:57 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 54m |
| July | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 39m |
| August | 6:37 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 7:05 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Topeka
At Topeka 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 Topeka
12 photo locations lie within 80 km of Topeka. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
Lakes
Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Topeka is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kaw Mission, about 82 km (51 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 | 82 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Hermit's Cave on Belfry Hill | Cave | 83 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 85 km (53 mi) | 2 |
| Irving | Ghost Town | 103 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Alcove Springs | Waterfall | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Big Lake State Park | State Park | 119 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Indian Cave State Park | State Park | 134 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| St. Deroin | Ghost Town | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:59 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:35 AM – 5:05 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:33 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:29 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:24 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:25 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.