Lincoln is a city of about 294,757 people in Lancaster County, Nebraska, at 367 m (1,204 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:44 AM and sets at 6:40 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:03 PM – 6:57 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 | 7:50 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 7:22 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:39 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:55 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:05 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:38 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 7:45 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Lincoln
At Lincoln 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 Lincoln
8 photo locations lie within 80 km of Lincoln. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State ParkBotanical Gardens
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Lincoln is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sawyer, about 76 km (47 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawyer | Ghost Town | 76 km (47 mi) | 2 |
| Armour | Ghost Town | 79 km (49 mi) | 2 |
| Williams | Ghost Town | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| St. Deroin | Ghost Town | 111 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Indian Cave State Park | State Park | 112 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Stoddard | Ghost Town | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Alcove Springs | Waterfall | 117 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Irving | Ghost Town | 129 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:44 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:05 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 2:55 AM – 5:05 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:50 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 11:07 PM – 3:47 AM | 4.7 | 20° |
| July | 10:58 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 9:11 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
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.