Northfield is a city of about 20,380 people in Rice County, Minnesota, at 278 m (912 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:35 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 | 7:46 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 13m |
| February | 7:14 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:15 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 31m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 13m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 51m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Northfield
At Northfield 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 Northfield
50 photo locations lie within 80 km of Northfield. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
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State Park
State ParkLakes
Beaches
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Northfield is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge, about 152 km (94 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 | 152 km (94 mi) | 2 |
| Dorothy Lake State Natural Area | Lake | 170 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Sexton | Ghost Town | 170 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Kilen Woods State Park | State Park | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| St. Croix State Park | State Park | 175 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Brunet Island State Park | State Park | 177 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Red Cedar Lake | Lake | 178 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Hamilton Falls | Waterfall | 178 km (111 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:06 AM – 5:46 AM | 0.7 | 13° |
| April | 3:04 AM – 4:34 AM | 1.5 | 16° |
| May | 1:11 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.3 | 17° |
| June | 11:28 PM – 2:58 AM | 3.5 | 17° |
| July | 11:14 PM – 1:34 AM | 2.3 | 17° |
| August | 10:14 PM – 11:34 PM | 1.3 | 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.