1. Home
  2. Cities
  3. Minnesota
  4. Mankato
44.1591° N94.0092° W253 mBortle 7Chicago

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Mankato, MN

Blue Earth County, Minnesota · pop. 41,044

  • Sunrise 7:38 AM
  • Sunset 6:25 PM
  • Bortle 7

Mankato is a city of about 41,044 people in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, at 253 m (830 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:38 AM and sets at 6:25 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:45 PM – 6:43 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Mankato

Live
Sunrise
7:38 AM
Sunset
6:25 PM
Golden hour AM
7:20 AM – 8:18 AM
Golden hour PM
5:45 PM – 6:43 PM
Blue hour AM
7:08 AM – 7:20 AM
Blue hour PM
6:43 PM – 6:55 PM
Full darkness
8:02 PM – 6:02 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
3:53 PM / 1:23 AM
Day length
10h 48m
Sunrise azimuth
104°
Sunset azimuth
256°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Chicago. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January7:49 AM8:34 AM4:18 PM5:03 PM5:36 PM9h 15m
February7:17 AM7:57 AM5:05 PM5:46 PM6:15 PM10h 29m
March7:29 AM8:08 AM6:44 PM7:22 PM7:51 PM11h 53m
April6:33 AM7:12 AM7:21 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM13h 27m
May5:50 AM6:32 AM7:54 PM8:36 PM9:10 PM14h 46m
June5:33 AM6:17 AM8:18 PM9:02 PM9:38 PM15h 29m
July5:47 AM6:30 AM8:15 PM8:58 PM9:33 PM15h 11m
August6:20 AM7:00 AM7:43 PM8:23 PM8:54 PM14h 02m
September6:56 AM7:34 AM6:50 PM7:28 PM7:58 PM12h 33m
October7:31 AM8:11 AM5:54 PM6:34 PM7:03 PM11h 02m
November7:12 AM7:56 AM4:07 PM4:51 PM5:22 PM9h 39m
December7:45 AM8:33 AM3:51 PM4:39 PM5:12 PM8h 54m

Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Mankato

At Mankato the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Mankato

13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Mankato. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

Waterfalls

Minneopa FallsWaterfall
Minneopa Falls6.6 km away · Blue Earth County
Waterfall
Minnemishinona Falls6.2 km away · Nicollet County · 251 m
Waterfall
Minnewankon Falls8.0 km away · Nicollet County · 258 m

State Parks

Minneopa State ParkState Park
Minneopa State Park7.4 km away · Nicollet County
Flandrau State ParkState Park
Flandrau State Park40 km away · Brown County
Sakatah Lake State ParkState Park
Sakatah Lake State Park38 km away · Le Sueur County
Minnesota Valley State Recreation AreaState Park
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area61 km away · Scott County
Fort Ridgely State ParkState Park
Fort Ridgely State Park66 km away · Renville County
Nerstrand Big Woods State ParkState Park
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park75 km away · Rice County

Botanical Gardens

Linnaeus ArboretumBotanical Garden
Linnaeus Arboretum18 km away · Nicollet County

Natural Arches

Natural Arch
Alumni Arch and Plaza1.7 km away · Blue Earth County

Ghost Towns

Rice LakeGhost Town
Rice Lake77 km away · Steele County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Mankato is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kilen Woods State Park, about 97 km (60 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

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Kilen Woods State ParkState Park97 km (60 mi)2
Union Slough National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge98 km (61 mi)2
SextonGhost Town120 km (74 mi)2
Upper Sioux Agency State ParkState Park132 km (82 mi)2
Lake ShetekLake134 km (83 mi)2
Lake Shetek State ParkState Park134 km (83 mi)2
Monson Lake State ParkState Park163 km (101 mi)2
Hill Little Sioux OverlookScenic Viewpoint176 km (109 mi)2
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
March5:09 AM – 5:49 AM0.713°
April3:06 AM – 4:36 AM1.516°
May1:12 AM – 3:42 AM2.517°
June11:29 PM – 2:59 AM3.517°
July11:14 PM – 1:44 AM2.517°
August10:15 PM – 11:45 PM1.516°
September9:08 PM – 9:38 PM0.513°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Mankato today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:20 AM – 8:18 AM and the evening golden hour is 5:45 PM – 6:43 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Mankato in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:34 PM and blue hour ends around 7:03 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Mankato?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 9:04 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:41 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Mankato?
Good options nearby include Alumni Arch and Plaza. Check each page's sunset azimuth to see whether the sun sets in view.
Can you see the Milky Way from Mankato?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Kilen Woods State Park (97 km (60 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Mankato?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (53°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.