Watertown is a city of about 23,819 people in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, at 260 m (853 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:05 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:26 PM – 6:23 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 | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 21m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:13 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 04m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:03 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:21 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 00m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Watertown
At Watertown 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 Watertown
35 photo locations lie within 80 km of Watertown. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
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LakeLighthouses
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LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Watertown is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Fordham, about 119 km (74 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 | 119 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Roche-a-Cri State Park | State Park | 126 km (78 mi) | 2 |
| Roche a Cri | Ghost Town | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 155 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Wildcat Mountain State Park | State Park | 158 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Lake Michigan | Lake | 183 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Beartrap Falls | Waterfall | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.8 | 14° |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:21 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:57 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:24 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.