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48.2325° N101.2963° W494 mBortle 7Chicago

Sunrise, Sunset & Golden Hour in Minot, ND

Ward County, North Dakota · pop. 49,450

  • Sunrise 8:13 AM
  • Sunset 6:48 PM
  • Bortle 7

Minot is a city of about 49,450 people in Ward County, North Dakota, at 494 m (1,621 ft). Today the sun rises at 8:13 AM and sets at 6:48 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:05 PM – 7:08 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.

Light at Minot

Live
Sunrise
8:13 AM
Sunset
6:48 PM
Golden hour AM
7:53 AM – 8:56 AM
Golden hour PM
6:05 PM – 7:08 PM
Blue hour AM
7:41 AM – 7:53 AM
Blue hour PM
7:08 PM – 7:20 PM
Full darkness
8:32 PM – 6:30 AM
Moon
Waxing Gibbous · 70%
Moonrise / set
4:32 PM / 1:42 AM
Day length
10h 36m
Sunrise azimuth
105°
Sunset azimuth
255°
000306091215182124
NightTwilightBlue hourGolden hourDaylight

Times in America/Chicago. Golden hour = sun −4° to +6°; blue hour = −6° to −4°.

Clouds at sunrise & sunset

NWS

Hourly sky cover from the National Weather Service. 20–60% cloud often gives the most colorful sunrises and sunsets.

Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month

Month (15th)SunriseGolden hour endsGolden hour startsSunsetBlue hour endsDaylight
January8:32 AM9:23 AM4:28 PM5:19 PM5:54 PM8h 47m
February7:53 AM8:38 AM5:23 PM6:07 PM6:40 PM10h 14m
March7:59 AM8:41 AM7:09 PM7:51 PM8:22 PM11h 51m
April6:56 AM7:38 AM7:54 PM8:36 PM9:08 PM13h 40m
May6:07 AM6:52 AM8:33 PM9:18 PM9:56 PM15h 12m
June5:45 AM6:34 AM8:59 PM9:48 PM10:30 PM16h 03m
July6:01 AM6:49 AM8:55 PM9:42 PM10:22 PM15h 41m
August6:40 AM7:24 AM8:18 PM9:01 PM9:35 PM14h 21m
September7:23 AM8:04 AM7:19 PM8:00 PM8:31 PM12h 37m
October8:05 AM8:48 AM6:15 PM6:58 PM7:29 PM10h 53m
November7:53 AM8:42 AM4:20 PM5:08 PM5:42 PM9h 15m
December8:30 AM9:24 AM3:58 PM4:52 PM5:29 PM8h 22m

Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.

Where the sun rises and sets in Minot

At Minot the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 52° (NE) at the June solstice and 126° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 308° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 65° in summer but only 18° in winter.

NESW60°30°
June solsticeEquinoxesDecember solstice

Best photo spots near Minot

13 photo locations lie within 80 km of Minot. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.

State Parks

Fort Stevenson State ParkState Park
Fort Stevenson State Park72 km away · McLean County
Lake Sakakawea State ParkState Park
Lake Sakakawea State Park80 km away · Mercer County

National Wildlife Refuges

National Wildlife Refuge
Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge47 km away · Renville County
National Wildlife Refuge
Wintering River National Wildlife Refuge52 km away · McHenry County
National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Otis National Wildlife Refuge54 km away · McLean County
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge61 km away · McHenry County
National Wildlife Refuge
Hiddenwood National Wildlife Refuge57 km away · McLean County
National Wildlife Refuge
Shell Lake National Wildlife Refuge61 km away · Mountrail County

Night sky, Milky Way & aurora

The sky over central Minot is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge, about 47 km (29 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April to July, best in May. Northern lights need roughly Kp 3.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.

Darkest skies within 200 km

LocationTypeDistanceEst. Bortle
Upper Souris National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge47 km (29 mi)1
Wintering River National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge52 km (32 mi)1
Lake Otis National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge54 km (33 mi)1
Hiddenwood National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge57 km (35 mi)1
Shell Lake National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge61 km (38 mi)1
Camp Lake National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge61 km (38 mi)1
J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge61 km (38 mi)1
Cottonwood Lake National Wildlife RefugeNational Wildlife Refuge62 km (39 mi)1
MonthMilky Way core window (15th)HoursMax altitude
April4:22 AM – 4:52 AM0.512°
May2:26 AM – 3:26 AM1.013°
June1:11 AM – 2:11 AM1.013°
July12:32 AM – 1:22 AM0.812°
August11:08 PM – 11:28 PM0.311°

Cloud cover by month

Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (69%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

FAQ

What time is golden hour in Minot today?
Today the morning golden hour is 7:53 AM – 8:56 AM and the evening golden hour is 6:05 PM – 7:08 PM (local time). The live widget at the top updates automatically and lets you pick any date.
What time is sunset in Minot in October?
Around the 15th of October the sun sets at about 6:58 PM and blue hour ends around 7:29 PM.
When is the latest sunset in Minot?
Sunset is latest in late June — about 9:50 PM — and earliest in December, around 4:54 PM.
Where can I watch the sunset near Minot?
Look for west-facing high ground or open water; the sunset azimuth table shows where the sun goes down each season.
Can you see the Milky Way from Minot?
Not well from the city center (estimated Bortle 7). Drive to Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge (47 km (29 mi)) for dark skies.
Can you see the northern lights in Minot?
Occasionally. Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.0 or higher to show on the northern horizon at this geomagnetic latitude (56°). Cameras pick it up before your eyes do.