Located in Clark County, Illinois, Griffin is a ghost town at about 177 m (581 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Marshall, about 7.0 km (4.3 mi) away (Griffin lies NNE of town).
Clark County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, along the Indiana state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,455. Its county seat is Marshall. The county was named for George Rogers Clark, an officer who served in the American Revolution.From the Wikipedia article “Clark County, Illinois”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Griffin the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:24 AM | 58° ENE | 8:22 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 120° ESE | 4:31 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:50 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:07 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:15 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:06 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:29 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 24m |
Local time (America/Chicago), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Griffin, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 4:35 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 3:38 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:22 PM – 3:22 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:14 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:29 PM – 11:49 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:43 PM – 7:53 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.23 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 43% 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.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 67 | 72 | 80 | 84 | 90 | 106 | 108 | 103 | 99 | 92 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -18 | -14 | 3 | 21 | 30 | 36 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 25 | 7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Griffin, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Griffin?
What time is golden hour at Griffin?
Where does the sun rise and set at Griffin?
Can you see the Milky Way from Griffin?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Griffin?
How far is Griffin from Marshall?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.