Waukesha is a city of about 71,970 people in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, at 248 m (814 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 6:04 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:25 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 | 8:06 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:57 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:34 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 02m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Waukesha
At Waukesha 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 Waukesha
38 photo locations lie within 80 km of Waukesha. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
State Parks
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State ParkLakes
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LighthouseBeaches
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Waukesha is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Michigan, about 163 km (101 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 | 163 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Fordham | Ghost Town | 163 km (101 mi) | 2 |
| Roche-a-Cri State Park | State Park | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Roche a Cri | Ghost Town | 173 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 176 km (110 mi) | 2 |
| Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Necedah National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 199 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Fox River National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 121 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| 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 | 12:40 AM – 3:20 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:52 PM – 2:52 AM | 4.0 | 18° |
| July | 10:41 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.8 | 18° |
| August | 9:46 PM – 11:26 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:32 PM | 0.8 | 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.