Duluth is a city of about 86,110 people in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, at 214 m (702 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:34 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:32 PM – 6:33 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 | 7:50 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:21 PM | 8h 57m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 6:02 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:44 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:14 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:54 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:12 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:47 AM | 8:39 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:57 PM | 8h 34m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Duluth
At Duluth the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
Best photo spots near Duluth
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Duluth. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Fire LookoutNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Duluth is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Splitrock, about 69 km (43 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 3.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Splitrock | Ghost Town | 69 km (43 mi) | 1 |
| Split Rock Lighthouse State Park | State Park | 71 km (44 mi) | 1 |
| Split Rock Lighthouse Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 73 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Split Rock Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 73 km (45 mi) | 1 |
| Glenn Avon Falls | Waterfall | 79 km (49 mi) | 1 |
| Beaver River Falls | Waterfall | 81 km (51 mi) | 1 |
| Pancake Falls | Waterfall | 85 km (53 mi) | 1 |
| Palisade Head | Rock Formation | 90 km (56 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:25 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.2 | 11° |
| April | 3:28 AM – 4:18 AM | 0.8 | 13° |
| May | 1:34 AM – 3:14 AM | 1.7 | 14° |
| June | 11:56 PM – 2:16 AM | 2.3 | 14° |
| July | 11:33 PM – 1:13 AM | 1.7 | 14° |
| August | 10:21 PM – 11:11 PM | 0.8 | 13° |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:06 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.