Manitowoc is a city of about 33,010 people in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, at 184 m (604 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:12 AM and sets at 6:00 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:20 PM – 6:18 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 | 7:23 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:08 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:29 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:26 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:47 PM | 8h 54m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Manitowoc
At Manitowoc the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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 Manitowoc
38 photo locations lie within 80 km of Manitowoc. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
State Parks
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Lighthouses
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Botanical GardenNatural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Manitowoc is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is South Manitou Island Lighthouse, about 161 km (100 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Manitou Island Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 161 km (100 mi) | 1 |
| Rock Island State Park | State Park | 162 km (100 mi) | 1 |
| Pottawatomie Light | Lighthouse | 163 km (101 mi) | 1 |
| North Manitou Shoal Light Station | Lighthouse | 170 km (106 mi) | 1 |
| North Manitou Island Light | Lighthouse | 172 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| St. Martin Island Light | Lighthouse | 173 km (107 mi) | 1 |
| Poverty Island Light Station | Lighthouse | 178 km (111 mi) | 1 |
| Gillnet Haven Dune and Swale Complex (Minor) | Sand Dunes | 194 km (120 mi) | 1 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:44 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:20 AM | 1.7 | 16° |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| June | 11:01 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.7 | 17° |
| July | 10:47 PM – 1:17 AM | 2.5 | 17° |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:19 PM | 1.5 | 16° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:12 PM | 0.5 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 59% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (74%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.