Next usable light
Minneapolis
7:20 PM – 8:18 PM
Solar noonDaytime54.7° · 181° S
Light windows
Fri, Aug 28 · America · ChicagoMorning
- Golden hour
- 6:13 AM – 7:11 AM58 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 6:01 AM – 6:13 AM12 min of deep blue twilight
Evening
- Golden hour
- 7:20 PM – 8:18 PM58 min of warm light
- Blue hour
- 8:18 PM – 8:30 PM12 min of deep blue twilight
- Sunrise
- 6:31 AM
- Sunset
- 7:59 PM
- Day length
- 13 hr 28 min
- Solar noon
- 1:15 PM
Where to point the camera
Solar path and bearing
On this selected date, the sun reaches 55° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 285° WNW.
Pick the month before the day
Light through 2026 in Minneapolis
The sampled golden window in Minneapolis is not one number — it spans 57 min (March) to 1 hr 10 min (December) over the year. The 68° seasonal walk of the sunset point (237° WSW in December, 305° NW in June) matters more than the clock time for framing. Day length spans 8 hr 48 min in December to 15 hr 35 min in June.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Golden window sample | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:48 AM | 4:58 PM | 9 hr 9 min | 4:11 PM · 1 hr 7 min | 241° WSW |
| February | 7:15 AM | 5:41 PM | 10 hr 26 min | 5:00 PM · 1 hr | 253° WSW |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:19 PM | 11 hr 53 min | 6:40 PM · 57 min | 268° W |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:58 PM | 13 hr 29 min | 7:19 PM · 58 min | 285° WNW |
| May | 5:45 AM | 8:36 PM | 14 hr 51 min | 7:53 PM · 1 hr 3 min | 298° WNW |
| June | 5:27 AM | 9:02 PM | 15 hr 35 min | 8:17 PM · 1 hr 8 min | 305° NW |
| July | 5:41 AM | 8:58 PM | 15 hr 17 min | 8:14 PM · 1 hr 6 min | 302° WNW |
| August | 6:16 AM | 8:21 PM | 14 hr 6 min | 7:41 PM · 1 hr | 291° WNW |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:26 PM | 12 hr 33 min | 6:47 PM · 57 min | 275° W |
| October | 7:29 AM | 6:30 PM | 11 hr | 5:50 PM · 58 min | 259° W |
| November | 7:11 AM | 4:46 PM | 9 hr 34 min | 4:01 PM · 1 hr 4 min | 244° WSW |
| December | 7:45 AM | 4:33 PM | 8 hr 48 min | 3:44 PM · 1 hr 10 min | 237° WSW |
Find the months when sunset faces your spot
Pick the direction your subject faces the sky. Months whose sunset lands within ±10° light up in the table above. Disabled shortcuts have no matching row in this visible mid-month sample.
Each row samples the 15th of the month at these coordinates, so dates near a month boundary can differ from the printed row — around here day length moves up to ~3 min per day in the fastest season. Clock times follow America · Chicago, including any daylight-saving change.
Full light and twilight schedule
Midnight to midnight
| Phase | Time |
|---|---|
| Astronomical dawn | 4:44 AM |
| Nautical dawn | 5:24 AM |
| Blue hour (morning) | 6:01 AM |
| Golden hour (morning) | 6:13 AM |
| Sunrise | 6:31 AM |
| Solar noon | 1:15 PM |
| Sunset | 7:59 PM |
| Golden hour (evening) | 7:20 PM |
| Blue hour (evening) | 8:18 PM |
| Nautical dusk | 9:07 PM |
| Astronomical dusk | 9:47 PM |
Seven local days in Minneapolis
The week ahead
| Date | Morning golden | Sunrise | Sunset | Evening golden |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Aug 28 | 6:13 AM – 7:11 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:59 PM | 7:20 PM – 8:18 PM |
| Sat, Aug 29 | 6:14 AM – 7:12 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:58 PM | 7:18 PM – 8:16 PM |
| Sun, Aug 30 | 6:15 AM – 7:13 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:56 PM | 7:17 PM – 8:14 PM |
| Mon, Aug 31 | 6:16 AM – 7:14 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:54 PM | 7:15 PM – 8:13 PM |
| Tue, Sep 1 | 6:18 AM – 7:15 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:52 PM | 7:13 PM – 8:11 PM |
| Wed, Sep 2 | 6:19 AM – 7:16 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:50 PM | 7:11 PM – 8:09 PM |
| Thu, Sep 3 | 6:20 AM – 7:17 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:49 PM | 7:09 PM – 8:07 PM |
Moon and candidate vantage points
Context to verify
Moon on the selected date
The moon over Minneapolis is a Full Moon, 100% lit. Treat this as lighting context, not a visibility forecast.
Candidate vantage points
They are map-search starting points, not ranked recommendations; current access, closures, permits, safety, and unobstructed views have not been verified. The selected-date sunset bearing is 285° WNW; if a composition faces elsewhere, use the bearing planner in the month table above to find sampled months that align. This mathematical bearing is a planning aid and does not prove visibility.
Plan and calculation notes
Assumptions and limits
Plan this specific light
In Minneapolis, the evening golden hour window runs 58 min on the selected date and approaches from 285° WNW. Arrive 15 minutes before its start when that window occurs, then choose a position with an open view toward that bearing. Don't rely on the generic “one hour before sunset” rule here — the real window shifts with the season, so check the computed times for your date.
See the calculation method and limits before relying on the estimate in terrain-sensitive or safety-critical conditions.
Common questions
Golden hour FAQ for Minneapolis
- When is golden hour in Minneapolis?
- Start with the sun angle in Minneapolis: +6° to −4°. The morning crossing carries sunrise and the later crossing carries sunset, while the representative monthly span is 57 minutes in March and 70 minutes in December. The selected-date light panel translates that geometry into local clock times.
- Which direction does the sun set in Minneapolis?
- There is no single answer — over the year the sunset point travels 68° along Minneapolis's horizon, between 237° WSW (December) and 305° NW (June). The month table above lists the bearing for each month, and the sun-path panel computes it per date.
- How much does day length change in Minneapolis?
- In Minneapolis, between 8 hr 48 min (December) and 15 hr 35 min (June). The month-by-month table above lists every month.
- Does Minneapolis get blue hour right after golden hour?
- Yes, with no gap: blue hour is simply the next slice of the same sunset, defined by the sun dropping from −4° to −6° after the golden band (+6° to −4°) closes. Planning a December shoot in Minneapolis? Budget 1 hr 10 min of gold, then the blue window follows immediately — both computed per date in the light-windows panel.