Faribault is a city of about 23,650 people in Rice County, Minnesota, at 303 m (994 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:42 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 | 7:46 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:30 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 53m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Faribault
At Faribault the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
Best photo spots near Faribault
47 photo locations lie within 80 km of Faribault. 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 Faribault is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge, about 132 km (82 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Sexton | Ghost Town | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Kilen Woods State Park | State Park | 157 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Sioux Agency State Park | State Park | 180 km (112 mi) | 2 |
| Dorothy Lake State Natural Area | Lake | 186 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Hamilton Falls | Waterfall | 191 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Donnan | Ghost Town | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Big Lake | Lake | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:06 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.7 | 13° |
| April | 3:03 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.5 | 16° |
| May | 1:09 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 11:26 PM – 2:56 AM | 3.5 | 17° |
| July | 11:11 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 10:12 PM – 11:42 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 9:05 PM – 9:35 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 46% 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.