Grand Island is a city of about 51,440 people in Hall County, Nebraska, at 567 m (1,860 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:51 AM and sets at 6:47 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:09 PM – 7:04 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 | 7:57 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 6:02 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 6:15 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:37 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:52 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 15m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Grand Island
At Grand Island the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
Best photo spots near Grand Island
3 photo locations lie within 80 km of Grand Island. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Grand Island is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Vinton, about 87 km (54 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 6.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vinton | Ghost Town | 87 km (54 mi) | 1 |
| Fort Hartsuff State Historical Park | State Park | 105 km (66 mi) | 1 |
| Wheeler | Ghost Town | 120 km (75 mi) | 1 |
| Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 160 km (99 mi) | 1 |
| Mars | Ghost Town | 168 km (105 mi) | 1 |
| Rock Falls | Waterfall | 194 km (120 mi) | 1 |
| Spring Ranch | Ghost Town | 58 km (36 mi) | 2 |
| Sawyer | Ghost Town | 78 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:50 AM – 5:50 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| March | 5:02 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 3:01 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:58 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 11:15 PM – 3:45 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 11:06 PM – 2:26 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 10:17 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:25 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 41% 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.