Lima is a city of about 37,873 people in Allen County, Ohio, at 268 m (879 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:54 AM and sets at 6:50 PM; the evening golden hour runs 6:13 PM – 7:07 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 | 7:59 AM | 8:41 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 7:32 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:49 AM | 8:25 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 6:05 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:43 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:40 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:48 AM | 8:25 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 7:24 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:54 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 16m |
Local time in America/New York, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Lima
At Lima 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 Lima
25 photo locations lie within 80 km of Lima. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Lighthouses
Covered Bridges
Covered BridgeMountain Peaks
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Lima is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Huntstown, about 34 km (21 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huntstown | Ghost Town | 34 km (21 mi) | 3 |
| Harrison Lake State Park | State Park | 102 km (64 mi) | 3 |
| Coldwater Lake | Lake | 141 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| Paint Creek State Park | State Park | 176 km (109 mi) | 3 |
| Rocky Fork State Park | State Park | 181 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Helmick Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 187 km (116 mi) | 3 |
| Lookout Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 187 km (116 mi) | 3 |
| Tar Hollow State Park | State Park | 191 km (119 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:53 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.0 | 11° |
| March | 5:04 AM – 6:14 AM | 1.2 | 17° |
| April | 3:04 AM – 5:14 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| May | 12:59 AM – 4:19 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| June | 11:16 PM – 3:56 AM | 4.7 | 20° |
| July | 11:07 PM – 2:27 AM | 3.3 | 20° |
| August | 10:19 PM – 12:29 AM | 2.2 | 20° |
| September | 9:20 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.2 | 17° |
| October | 8:28 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.0 | 11° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.