Columbia is a city of about 129,330 people in Boone County, Missouri, at 215 m (705 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:25 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 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 | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 27m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Columbia
At Columbia the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Columbia
25 photo locations lie within 80 km of Columbia. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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Covered Bridges
Natural Arches
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Ghost Towns
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The sky over central Columbia is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site, about 57 km (35 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 7.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site | Covered Bridge | 57 km (35 mi) | 2 |
| Mark Twain State Park | State Park | 76 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site | State Park | 77 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Arch Cave | Natural Arch | 78 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Gravois Mills Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 82 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Longville | Ghost Town | 82 km (51 mi) | 2 |
| Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 103 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Climax Springs Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 112 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.2 | 12° |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:21 AM – 4:51 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.7 | 22° |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.0 | 22° |
| July | 10:29 PM – 2:19 AM | 3.8 | 22° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 19° |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.2 | 12° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.