Saint Cloud is a city of about 65,842 people in Stearns County, Minnesota, at 314 m (1,030 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:40 AM and sets at 6:24 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:43 PM – 6:42 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 | 7:54 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 8:01 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:46 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:51 AM | 8:40 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 43m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Saint Cloud
At Saint Cloud the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
Best photo spots near Saint Cloud
13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Saint Cloud. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Fire Lookouts
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Saint Cloud is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Leech Lake, about 179 km (111 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leech Lake | Lake | 179 km (111 mi) | 1 |
| Big Stone Lake | Lake | 192 km (119 mi) | 1 |
| Aiton Heights Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 197 km (122 mi) | 1 |
| Big Stone Lake Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Chippewa National Forest | National Forest | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Cuba Hill Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 200 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | State Park | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Mille Lacs Kathio Observation Tower | Fire Lookout | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:22 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.2 | 15° |
| May | 1:22 AM – 3:32 AM | 2.2 | 16° |
| June | 11:45 PM – 2:45 AM | 3.0 | 16° |
| July | 11:28 PM – 1:28 AM | 2.0 | 16° |
| August | 10:23 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.2 | 14° |
| September | 9:12 PM – 9:32 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 (68%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.