Janesville is a city of about 64,123 people in Rock County, Wisconsin, at 255 m (837 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:16 AM and sets at 6:07 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:28 PM – 6:25 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 04m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Janesville
At Janesville the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Janesville
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Janesville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
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Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
National Wildlife Refuges
Ghost Towns
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Janesville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Fordham, about 156 km (97 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.5+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fordham | Ghost Town | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Roche-a-Cri State Park | State Park | 160 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Roche a Cri | Ghost Town | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Wildcat Mountain State Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Bussey Lake | Lake | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 171 km (106 mi) | 2 |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 184 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.8 | 15° |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:30 AM | 1.8 | 18° |
| May | 12:41 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| June | 10:53 PM – 2:53 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:38 PM | 1.8 | 18° |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.8 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.