Germantown is a city of about 19,993 people in Washington County, Wisconsin, at 264 m (866 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 6:03 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:24 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 43m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Germantown
At Germantown the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
Best photo spots near Germantown
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Germantown. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
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LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Germantown is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Michigan, about 139 km (87 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan | Lake | 139 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Fordham | Ghost Town | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Roche-a-Cri State Park | State Park | 162 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Roche a Cri | Ghost Town | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 193 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Udell Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:38 AM – 4:18 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:21 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:21 PM | 0.7 | 14° |
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 (71%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.