Jefferson City is a city of about 42,595 people in Cole County, Missouri, at 192 m (630 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 6:25 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 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 | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Jefferson City
At Jefferson City 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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Jefferson City
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Jefferson City. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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Botanical Gardens
Natural Arches
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Ghost Towns
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The sky over central Jefferson City is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Arch Cave, about 36 km (22 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arch Cave | Natural Arch | 36 km (22 mi) | 2 |
| Gravois Mills Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 66 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Climax Springs Fire Tower | Fire Lookout | 91 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site | Covered Bridge | 95 km (59 mi) | 2 |
| Mark Twain State Park | State Park | 107 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site | State Park | 107 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Paddy Creek Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Harry S Truman State Park | State Park | 115 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:21 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.7 | 23° |
| June | 10:33 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:16 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:49 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
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.