Monroe is a city of about 20,092 people in Monroe County, Michigan, at 182 m (597 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:52 AM and sets at 6:46 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:08 PM – 7:03 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 | 8:00 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 7:46 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 6:14 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 5:59 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 6:42 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:46 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 7:24 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 7:55 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 09m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Monroe
At Monroe 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
Best photo spots near Monroe
49 photo locations lie within 80 km of Monroe. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
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LighthouseBotanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Natural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Monroe is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Harrison Lake State Park, about 86 km (54 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | 86 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | 126 km (78 mi) | 3 |
| Coldwater Lake | Lake | 131 km (81 mi) | 3 |
| Port Sanilac Light | Lighthouse | 182 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Point Wildlife Area Dune and Swale Complex (Possible) | Sand Dunes | 190 km (118 mi) | 3 |
| Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park | State Park | 196 km (122 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:14 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 3:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| May | 1:15 AM – 4:15 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| June | 11:24 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.3 | 19° |
| July | 11:14 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.2 | 19° |
| August | 10:23 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| September | 9:21 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.0 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 48% 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.