Located in Broadwater County, Montana, Lombard is a ghost town. It sits roughly 25 km (16 mi) SSE of Townsend.
Lombard is a ghost town in southeastern Broadwater County, Montana, United States. The town was located on the east bank of the Missouri River, just north of the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek. Lombard was established in 1895 as the western terminus of the Montana Railroad, and the location of its interchange with the Northern Pacific Railway. In 1908, the Montana Railroad was incorporated into the new transcontinental main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad ("the Milwaukee Road"). This lessened Lombard's importance as a railroad operational base, but the town survived as an interchange point between the Milwaukee and the Northern Pacific. Lombard was named for A.G. Lombard, the chief engineer of the Montana Railroad. The town's post office was first opened in 1896, and closed in 1957.From the Wikipedia article “Lombard, Montana”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lombard the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 54° NE | 9:21 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 46m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:06 AM | 124° SE | 4:43 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 7:31 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:53 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:40 PM | 9h 02m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:23 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:19 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:32 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:56 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:19 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:29 PM | 9:15 PM | 9:52 PM | 15h 25m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:11 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 28m |
| December | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:52 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:16 PM | 8h 39m |
Local time (America/Denver), 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 Lombard, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:42 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:36 AM – 3:36 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:02 AM – 2:52 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:42 PM – 1:32 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:35 PM – 11:35 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:22 PM – 9:32 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 39% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (72%). 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 | 42 | 51 | 66 | 77 | 86 | 92 | 99 | 94 | 88 | 80 | 64 | 46 |
| Low °F | -29 | -32 | -25 | 5 | 18 | 27 | 36 | 35 | 21 | -7 | -25 | -32 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 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
- 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.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Lombard, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lombard?
What time is golden hour at Lombard?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lombard?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lombard?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lombard?
How far is Lombard from Townsend?
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.