Located in Adams County, Iowa, Queen City is a ghost town at about 351 m (1,152 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 3.6 km (2.2 mi) ENE of Corning.
Queen City was a farming town in Adams County, Iowa, United States, located about three miles (5 km) northeast of present-day Corning, Iowa, and northwest of the Icarian commune with which it shared a post office. Queen City co-existed with the Icarian colony and was possibly created before the Icarian society was founded in 1854. The town was officially platted in October 1857, after three men purchased 262 acres (1.06 km2) from landowner Samuel Larimer for development. Larimer was named Queen City's first postmaster in 1858 when the post office was moved from Icaria. The town grew to a population of about 150, at its peak in the 1860s, and had general stores, a drug store, doctor's office, and two hotels. However, Queen City's fortunes declined when Corning was selected as the local railroad stop in 1869 and county seat in 1872. The number of residents dwindled, and the plat for...From the Wikipedia article “Queen City, Iowa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Queen City the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:23 AM | 90° E | 7:31 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 58° ENE | 8:55 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 08m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:07 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 121° ESE | 4:54 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 13m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 33m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 28m |
| June | 5:13 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 06m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 50m |
| August | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 15m |
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 Queen City, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:36 AM – 5:36 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:48 AM – 5:58 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:47 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:13 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:11 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 6.5+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 56 | 67 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 108 | 105 | 100 | 87 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -15 | -11 | 16 | 29 | 41 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 21 | 5 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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.
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Queen City?
What time is golden hour at Queen City?
Where does the sun rise and set at Queen City?
Can you see the Milky Way from Queen City?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Queen City?
How far is Queen City from Corning?
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.