Milwaukee is a city of about 563,531 people in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, at 188 m (617 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:12 AM and sets at 6:02 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:23 PM – 6:20 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 | 7:21 AM | 8:05 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:32 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 01m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Milwaukee
At Milwaukee the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
Best photo spots near Milwaukee
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Milwaukee. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Milwaukee is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Michigan, about 142 km (88 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan | Lake | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 167 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Fordham | Ghost Town | 181 km (113 mi) | 2 |
| Roche-a-Cri State Park | State Park | 188 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Roche a Cri | Ghost Town | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Udell Lookout Tower | Fire Lookout | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 197 km (122 mi) | 2 |
| Little Sable Point Light | Lighthouse | 130 km (81 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:17 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:19 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:51 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:40 PM – 1:30 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 11:25 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:41 PM – 9:31 PM | 0.8 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 60% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (80%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.