Ann Arbor is a city of about 117,070 people in Washtenaw County, Michigan, at 269 m (883 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:54 AM and sets at 6:47 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:08 PM – 7:04 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 | 8:02 AM | 8:46 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:59 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:48 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:45 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 6:15 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:59 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:44 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:43 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:08 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:48 AM | 8:26 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:58 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Ann Arbor
At Ann Arbor the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Ann Arbor
37 photo locations lie within 80 km of Ann Arbor. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
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Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
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Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Ann Arbor is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sand Point Dune and Swale Complex (Major), about 185 km (115 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Point Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Caseville Harbor Light | Lighthouse | 189 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Sleeper State Park Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 193 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Gravelly Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Harbor Beach Light | Lighthouse | 196 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Charity Island Light | Lighthouse | 197 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Port Crescent Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 198 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Au Gres Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:15 AM – 6:05 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 3:08 AM – 5:08 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 1:17 AM – 4:07 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:27 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 11:17 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:25 PM – 12:15 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:22 PM – 10:12 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.