Located in Peoria County, Illinois, Jubilee College State Park is a state park. It sits roughly 10.0 km (6.2 mi) WSW of Dunlap. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Jubilee College State Park is an Illinois state park located 6 mi (9.7 km) west of Peoria, Illinois. It contains Jubilee College State Historic Site, a frontier Illinois college active from 1840 to 1862. The entire Jubilee College site is still owned by the state of Illinois. The 90-acre (36 ha) grounds are operated by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), and the surrounding 3,100 acres (1,300 ha) of open space are operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR).From the Wikipedia article “Jubilee College State Park”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jubilee College State Park 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 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:03 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 121° ESE | 4:35 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 14m |
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
State parks often protect a signature feature — a gorge, lake or overlook — that is best in early morning before visitors and harsh light arrive.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 34m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 55m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Jubilee College State Park, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:19 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 1:50 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:51 PM – 7:51 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: 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 ≈ 20.81 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 December as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 65 | 68 | 80 | 83 | 93 | 107 | 108 | 104 | 102 | 90 | 77 | 70 |
| Low °F | -24 | -16 | -8 | 20 | 29 | 41 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 17 | 9 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
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 state park
- Check park hours: many state parks close at dusk, which affects sunset and night shooting.
- Ask rangers about photography permits for commercial work, models or drones.
- Weekday mornings are the least crowded at popular viewpoints.
- Trail maps often mark overlooks — combine them with the sun azimuth to plan.
- Day-use fees or passes are common; buy them online before arriving.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring wildflowers and autumn color are peak seasons in most parks.
Suggested gear: Versatile zoom lens, Tripod, Park pass. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Jubilee College State Park, closest first.
Botanical Garden
Lake
State Park
State Park
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jubilee College State Park?
What time is golden hour at Jubilee College State Park?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jubilee College State Park?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jubilee College State Park?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jubilee College State Park?
How far is Jubilee College State Park from Dunlap?
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.