Prior Lake is a city of about 25,282 people in Scott County, Minnesota, at 289 m (948 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:36 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 | 7:48 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:56 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 | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 7:11 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 50m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Prior Lake
At Prior Lake 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 Prior Lake
52 photo locations lie within 80 km of Prior Lake. 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 Prior Lake is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is St. Croix State Park, about 155 km (96 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to September, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Croix State Park | State Park | 155 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Father Hennepin State Park | State Park | 159 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | State Park | 159 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio Observation Tower | Fire Lookout | 160 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Monson Lake State Park | State Park | 160 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Sioux Agency State Park | State Park | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 162 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.3 | 16° |
| May | 1:13 AM – 3:33 AM | 2.3 | 16° |
| June | 11:32 PM – 2:52 AM | 3.3 | 16° |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.3 | 16° |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.3 | 15° |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:37 PM | 0.5 | 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.