Pontiac is a city of about 59,917 people in Oakland County, Michigan, at 281 m (922 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:53 AM and sets at 6:44 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:06 PM – 7:02 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 | 8:01 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:46 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:56 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:13 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:07 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:47 AM | 8:25 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 7:25 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:57 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 04m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Pontiac
At Pontiac 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° (NW) 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 Pontiac
27 photo locations lie within 80 km of Pontiac. 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 GardenNational Wildlife Refuges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Pontiac 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 141 km (88 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 | 141 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Harbor Beach Light | Lighthouse | 144 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Caseville Harbor Light | Lighthouse | 145 km (90 mi) | 2 |
| Sleeper State Park Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Port Crescent Dune and Swale Complex (Major) | Sand Dunes | 151 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Port Crescent State Park | State Park | 153 km (95 mi) | 2 |
| Gravelly Shoal Light | Lighthouse | 155 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Charity Island Light | Lighthouse | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:14 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 3:17 AM – 5:07 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| May | 1:18 AM – 4:08 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| June | 11:30 PM – 3:30 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 11:19 PM – 2:09 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 10:25 PM – 12:15 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:21 PM – 10:11 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.