Appleton is a city of about 74,139 people in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, at 242 m (794 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:03 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:23 PM – 6:21 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 | 7:27 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:28 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 03m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:34 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:28 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:28 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 53m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Appleton
At Appleton the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
Best photo spots near Appleton
49 photo locations lie within 80 km of Appleton. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Appleton is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Headwaters Wilderness, about 178 km (110 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 4.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headwaters Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 178 km (110 mi) | 1 |
| Rock Island State Park | State Park | 180 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| Pottawatomie Light | Lighthouse | 180 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| St. Martin Island Light | Lighthouse | 190 km (118 mi) | 1 |
| Poverty Island Light Station | Lighthouse | 197 km (122 mi) | 1 |
| Blackjack Springs Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Beartrap Falls | Waterfall | 78 km (48 mi) | 2 |
| Big Eddy Falls | Waterfall | 80 km (50 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:47 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.7 | 13° |
| April | 2:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 1.5 | 16° |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 11:07 PM – 2:37 AM | 3.5 | 17° |
| July | 10:52 PM – 1:22 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:23 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (72%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.