Eau Claire is a city of about 67,778 people in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, at 240 m (787 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:28 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:34 PM – 6:33 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 | 7:41 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 6:05 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:48 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:38 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:26 PM | 5:00 PM | 8h 49m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Eau Claire
At Eau Claire 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 Eau Claire
27 photo locations lie within 80 km of Eau Claire. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Ghost Towns
Ghost TownGhost TownGhost TownGhost TownGhost TownGhost TownNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Eau Claire is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Fifield Fire Lookout Tower, about 151 km (94 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from April 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fifield Fire Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 151 km (94 mi) | 1 |
| Smith Rapids Covered Bridge | Covered Bridge | 160 km (100 mi) | 1 |
| Lake Minocqua | Lake | 184 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Copper Falls | Waterfall | 186 km (116 mi) | 1 |
| Copper Falls State Park | State Park | 186 km (116 mi) | 1 |
| Brownstone Falls | Waterfall | 186 km (116 mi) | 1 |
| Trout Lake | Lake | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Potato River Falls | Waterfall | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 5:10 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.3 | 12° |
| April | 3:08 AM – 4:28 AM | 1.3 | 16° |
| May | 1:05 AM – 3:25 AM | 2.3 | 16° |
| June | 11:24 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.3 | 16° |
| July | 11:09 PM – 1:29 AM | 2.3 | 16° |
| August | 10:08 PM – 11:28 PM | 1.3 | 15° |
| September | 8:59 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.5 | 12° |
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 (71%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.