Portage is a city of about 48,177 people in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, at 268 m (879 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:01 AM and sets at 6:54 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:16 PM – 7:12 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 | 8:09 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 26m |
| February | 7:40 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 7:55 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 35m |
| June | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 15m |
| July | 6:20 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:51 PM | 14h 58m |
| August | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:15 PM | 13h 54m |
| September | 7:23 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:55 AM | 8:34 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 49m |
| December | 8:05 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 07m |
Local time in America/Detroit, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Portage
At Portage 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 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Portage
17 photo locations lie within 80 km of Portage. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
Lakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Portage is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Coldwater Lake, about 65 km (40 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coldwater Lake | Lake | 65 km (40 mi) | 3 |
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Newaygo State Park | State Park | 145 km (90 mi) | 3 |
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | 170 km (106 mi) | 3 |
| Little Sable Point Light | Lighthouse | 179 km (111 mi) | 3 |
| Silver Lake Sand Dunes | Sand Dunes | 180 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Silver Lake State Park | State Park | 181 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Mears State Park | State Park | 189 km (118 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:22 AM – 6:12 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 3:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 2.0 | 18° |
| May | 1:24 AM – 4:14 AM | 2.8 | 19° |
| June | 11:34 PM – 3:44 AM | 4.2 | 19° |
| July | 11:24 PM – 2:24 AM | 3.0 | 19° |
| August | 10:32 PM – 12:22 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 9:29 PM – 10:19 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
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.