Minnetonka is a city of about 51,669 people in Hennepin County, Minnesota, at 275 m (902 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:37 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:42 PM – 6:41 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 | 7:49 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 7:12 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:46 AM | 8:34 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 48m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Minnetonka
At Minnetonka 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 Minnetonka
51 photo locations lie within 80 km of Minnetonka. 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 Minnetonka is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mille Lacs Kathio State Park, about 136 km (85 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 | 136 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio Observation Tower | Fire Lookout | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Father Hennepin State Park | State Park | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| St. Croix State Park | State Park | 138 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 139 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Monson Lake State Park | State Park | 146 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Lake | Lake | 148 km (92 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Sioux Agency State Park | State Park | 155 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:17 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.3 | 15° |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| June | 11:36 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.2 | 16° |
| July | 11:20 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:27 PM | 1.2 | 15° |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.3 | 12° |
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.