Norton Shores is a city of about 24,208 people in Muskegon County, Michigan, at 187 m (614 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:05 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:17 PM – 7:13 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 | 8:15 AM | 8:59 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 7:44 AM | 8:24 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:58 AM | 8:36 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:44 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:41 PM | 9:24 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:59 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 7:39 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:53 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 8:11 AM | 8:57 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Norton Shores
At Norton Shores the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Norton Shores
32 photo locations lie within 80 km of Norton Shores. 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
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Norton Shores is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Michigan, about 101 km (63 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan | Lake | 101 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Udell Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 138 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Hodenpyle Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Arcadia Lake | Lake | 146 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Budd Lake | Lake | 152 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Missaukee | Lake | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 3:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 1:34 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 11:47 PM – 3:37 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 11:35 PM – 2:25 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:39 PM – 12:19 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 9:34 PM – 10:14 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 64% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (85%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.