Omaha is a city of about 486,051 people in Douglas County, Nebraska, at 323 m (1,060 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:42 AM and sets at 6:37 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:59 PM – 6:54 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 | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 5:51 AM | 6:33 AM | 8:17 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 08m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 52m |
| August | 6:34 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:36 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 13m |
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 Omaha
At Omaha 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.
Best photo spots near Omaha
11 photo locations lie within 80 km of Omaha. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
National Wildlife Refuges
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife RefugeGhost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Omaha is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Anita State Park, about 99 km (62 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Anita State Park | State Park | 99 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| John G. Neihardt State Historic Site | State Park | 99 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Queen City | Ghost Town | 107 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| St. Deroin | Ghost Town | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Indian Cave State Park | State Park | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Lucky Valley | Ghost Town | 126 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Kings Grove | Ghost Town | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Armour | Ghost Town | 133 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:41 AM – 5:41 AM | 0.0 | 10° |
| March | 4:53 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.0 | 16° |
| April | 2:53 AM – 5:03 AM | 2.2 | 19° |
| May | 12:50 AM – 4:10 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 11:08 PM – 3:38 AM | 4.5 | 20° |
| July | 10:58 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 10:09 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.0 | 19° |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.0 | 16° |
| October | 8:16 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.0 | 10° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 44% 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.