North Platte is a city of about 24,194 people in Lincoln County, Nebraska, at 854 m (2,802 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:01 AM and sets at 6:56 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:18 PM – 7:13 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 | 8:07 AM | 8:49 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:10 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 7:39 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:56 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 6:26 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 6:11 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 6:24 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:48 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:55 AM | 8:33 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 8:02 AM | 8:46 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 14m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in North Platte
At North Platte the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central North Platte is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Ash Hollow State Historical Park, about 115 km (71 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash Hollow State Historical Park | State Park | 115 km (71 mi) | 1 |
| Bluewater Battlefield Overlook Site | Scenic Viewpoint | 122 km (76 mi) | 1 |
| Elephant Rock | Natural Arch | 135 km (84 mi) | 1 |
| Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 148 km (92 mi) | 1 |
| Horseshoe Falls | Waterfall | 148 km (92 mi) | 1 |
| Big Falls | Waterfall | 149 km (93 mi) | 1 |
| John W. and Louise Seier National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 150 km (93 mi) | 1 |
| Valentine National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 153 km (95 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 6:00 AM – 6:00 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| March | 5:12 AM – 6:22 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 3:11 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 1:08 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 11:25 PM – 3:55 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 11:16 PM – 2:36 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 10:27 PM – 12:37 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 9:27 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:35 PM – 8:35 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 40% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.