George — a ghost town in Franklin County, Missouri at about 164 m (538 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Saint Clair, about 11.5 km (7.1 mi) away (George lies SSE of town).
George is an extinct town in Franklin County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. A post office called George was established in 1894, and remained in operation until 1905. Stephen H. George, an early postmaster, gave the community his last name.From the Wikipedia article “George, Missouri”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At George the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:08 AM | 90° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:41 AM | 59° ENE | 8:31 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:52 AM | 89° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 34m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 31m |
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 George, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:36 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:13 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.31 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 71 | 77 | 82 | 88 | 96 | 109 | 109 | 107 | 103 | 94 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -9 | -11 | 4 | 20 | 33 | 47 | 53 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 10 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 George, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph George?
What time is golden hour at George?
Where does the sun rise and set at George?
Can you see the Milky Way from George?
Do you need a permit to photograph at George?
How far is George from Saint Clair?
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.