Rolla is a city of about 20,019 people in Phelps County, Missouri, at 342 m (1,122 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:21 AM and sets at 6:24 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:48 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:57 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:18 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 33m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rolla
At Rolla 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rolla
42 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rolla. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Beaches
Natural Arches
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Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rolla is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Paddy Creek Natural Arch, about 50 km (31 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 8.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Creek Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 50 km (31 mi) | 2 |
| Arch Cave | Natural Arch | 53 km (33 mi) | 2 |
| Dillard Mill State Historic Site | State Park | 56 km (35 mi) | 2 |
| Montauk State Park | State Park | 56 km (35 mi) | 2 |
| Raftville | Ghost Town | 58 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Sinkin | Ghost Town | 68 km (42 mi) | 2 |
| Mark Twain National Forest | National Forest | 69 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Cave Spring | Cave | 70 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:04 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 19° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:46 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:18 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 (64%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.