Springfield is a city of about 170,188 people in Greene County, Missouri, at 396 m (1,299 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:31 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:55 PM – 6:47 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 | 8:06 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 6:05 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 37m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Springfield
At Springfield the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Springfield
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Springfield. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Beaches
Natural Arches
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Springfield is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hiatt, about 54 km (33 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiatt | Ghost Town | 54 km (33 mi) | 2 |
| Ingalls | Ghost Town | 64 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Rembert | Ghost Town | 67 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Hercules Glades Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 69 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Pomme de Terre Lake | Lake | 72 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Pomme de Terre State Park | State Park | 73 km (45 mi) | 2 |
| Needles Eye Natural Arch | Natural Arch | 77 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Sweden Fork Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 81 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:31 AM | 0.3 | 14° |
| March | 4:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:20 AM – 5:00 AM | 2.7 | 24° |
| May | 12:19 AM – 4:19 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:59 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:43 PM – 12:33 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:31 PM | 1.7 | 20° |
| October | 8:04 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.3 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% 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.