Elk River is a city of about 23,963 people in Sherburne County, Minnesota, at 273 m (896 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:37 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:40 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 | 7:51 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 5:27 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:14 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 45m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Elk River
At Elk River the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
Best photo spots near Elk River
52 photo locations lie within 80 km of Elk River. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Elk River is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, about 93 km (58 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to August, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | State Park | 93 km (58 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio Observation Tower | Fire Lookout | 93 km (58 mi) | 2 |
| Father Hennepin State Park | State Park | 94 km (58 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 96 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Lake | Lake | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| St. Croix State Park | State Park | 107 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Kenney Lake Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| White Pine Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:18 AM – 4:38 AM | 1.3 | 15° |
| May | 1:17 AM – 3:27 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| June | 11:39 PM – 2:49 AM | 3.2 | 16° |
| July | 11:22 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| August | 10:18 PM – 11:28 PM | 1.2 | 15° |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:28 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
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 (69%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.