Detroit is a city of about 645,705 people in Wayne County, Michigan, at 183 m (600 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:51 AM and sets at 6:44 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:05 PM – 7:01 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 | 7:59 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 16m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:42 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 6:40 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:45 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 48m |
| December | 7:55 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 06m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Detroit
At Detroit 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Detroit
38 photo locations lie within 80 km of Detroit. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNatural Arches
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Detroit is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Harbor Beach Light, about 172 km (107 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Beach Light | Lighthouse | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Sand Point Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Caseville Harbor Light | Lighthouse | 181 km (112 mi) | 2 |
| Sleeper State Park Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 183 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Port Crescent Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Port Crescent State Park | State Park | 186 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Oscube Point Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) | Sand Dunes | 187 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Pointe aux Barques Light | Lighthouse | 189 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:12 AM – 6:02 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 3:05 AM – 5:05 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 1:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:24 PM – 3:34 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 11:14 PM – 2:14 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:22 PM – 12:12 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:19 PM – 10:09 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.