Grand Rapids is a city of about 195,097 people in Kent County, Michigan, at 195 m (640 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:03 AM and sets at 6:54 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:15 PM – 7:11 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 | 8:12 AM | 8:56 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 7:41 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:56 AM | 8:33 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 6:21 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:19 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 6:04 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:24 PM | 9:59 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 6:18 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:55 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 6:49 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:17 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:57 AM | 8:35 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 7:36 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 8:08 AM | 8:54 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Grand Rapids
At Grand Rapids the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Grand Rapids
30 photo locations lie within 80 km of Grand Rapids. 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
Covered Bridges
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Grand Rapids is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Budd Lake, about 137 km (85 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budd Lake | Lake | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 141 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Udell Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 143 km (89 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Michigan | Lake | 146 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Missaukee | Lake | 155 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Hodenpyle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 157 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Arcadia Lake | Lake | 175 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:24 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 3:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:30 AM – 4:10 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 11:31 PM – 2:21 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:36 PM – 12:16 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:32 PM – 10:22 PM | 0.8 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 49% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (82%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.