West Bend is a city of about 31,695 people in Washington County, Wisconsin, at 273 m (896 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 6:03 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:24 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 | 7:23 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 19m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:11 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 41m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 24m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 06m |
| August | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 59m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:30 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:31 PM | 4:18 PM | 4:51 PM | 8h 59m |
Local time in America/Chicago, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in West Bend
At West Bend 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 West Bend
36 photo locations lie within 80 km of West Bend. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
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 GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central West Bend is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Lake Michigan, about 132 km (82 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June. Northern lights need roughly Kp 5.0+ to appear low on the northern horizon here.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Michigan | Lake | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Fordham | Ghost Town | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Roche-a-Cri State Park | State Park | 146 km (91 mi) | 2 |
| Roche a Cri | Ghost Town | 150 km (93 mi) | 2 |
| Buckhorn State Park | State Park | 157 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 159 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Beartrap Falls | Waterfall | 173 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Big Eddy Falls | Waterfall | 175 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.7 | 14° |
| April | 2:40 AM – 4:20 AM | 1.7 | 17° |
| May | 12:43 AM – 3:23 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| June | 10:57 PM – 2:47 AM | 3.8 | 18° |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.7 | 18° |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.7 | 17° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:23 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.