Littleport — a ghost town in Clayton County, Iowa — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Elkader, about 11.5 km (7.1 mi) away (Littleport lies SSE of town).
Littleport is an unincorporated community and former city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. After the Volga River flood of May 16, 1999, much of the town was destroyed and most residents moved away. At the 2000 Census, there were 26 residents. As of the 1960 Census, there had been 119 residents. There had been 139 people in 1950 and more than 200 people in 1916. The town was laid out in 1857 by Dennis Quigley and platted on May 21, 1860, but remained of little importance until the coming of the railroad in 1874. The town was not officially incorporated until 1907. Around this time, it had three general stores, a bank, blacksmith shop, Catholic church (built in 1909; torn down in 1990), German Lutheran church (damaged by the May 1999 Volga River flood and later moved to higher ground), an independent school district and a creamery. Somewhat later, it also had two taverns. It...From the Wikipedia article “Littleport, Iowa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Littleport 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 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 56° ENE | 8:48 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:05 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:33 AM | 122° ESE | 4:35 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:40 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:11 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:10 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:21 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:16 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Littleport, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 3:02 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 11:47 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:43 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.75 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 50 | 68 | 77 | 83 | 92 | 100 | 106 | 100 | 94 | 85 | 73 | 68 |
| Low °F | -33 | -16 | -18 | 10 | 26 | 40 | 47 | 44 | 33 | 23 | 2 | -22 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.1 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.8 |
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
- 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.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Littleport, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Ghost Town
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Littleport?
What time is golden hour at Littleport?
Where does the sun rise and set at Littleport?
Can you see the Milky Way from Littleport?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Littleport?
How far is Littleport from Elkader?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.