Next usable light

Sun, Oct 25

St. Louis

Evening golden hour

5:34 PM – 6:27 PM

7:21 AMsunrise6:10 PMsunset 12:46 PMsolar noonsolar noon: 12:46 PM, 39.2° altitude
nightblue hourgolden hourdaylightgolden hourblue hournight000306091215182124

Solar noonDaytime39.2° · 180° S

Take this plan with you

Planning estimate. Calculated in your browser from fixed city coordinates and solar-altitude thresholds. Weather, terrain, buildings, local access, and elevation are not included. Method & limits →

View the detailed light plan →

Light windows

Sun, Oct 25 · America · Chicago

Morning

Golden hour
7:04 AM – 7:57 AM53 min of warm light
Blue hour
6:54 AM – 7:04 AM10 min of deep blue twilight

Evening

Golden hour
5:34 PM – 6:27 PM53 min of warm light
Blue hour
6:27 PM – 6:38 PM10 min of deep blue twilight
Sunrise
7:21 AM
Sunset
6:10 PM
Day length
10 hr 50 min
Solar noon
12:46 PM

Where to point the camera

Solar path and bearing

0006121824 sunrisesunset solar noon: 12:46 PM, 39.2° altitude
Sunrise direction105° ESE
Sunset direction255° WSW
Sun's highest point39°
Day length vs yesterday−2 min

On this selected date, the sun reaches 39° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 255° WSW.

Pick the month before the day

Light through 2026 in St. Louis

December is the generous sample in St. Louis — 1 hr of golden light — while March tightens the window to about 51 min. That 60° of seasonal travel — 241° WSW at the December extreme, 301° WNW at the June one — is why a bearing beats a compass direction when you scout. June days run 14 hr 51 min; by December they shrink to 9 hr 29 min.

Monthlocal day · 00–24
Annual light atlasJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Exact monthly readings
MonthSunriseSunsetDay lengthGolden window sampleSunset bearing
January 7:18 AM 5:04 PM 9 hr 46 min 4:23 PM · 58 min 243° WSW
February 6:53 AM 5:39 PM 10 hr 46 min 5:02 PM · 54 min 255° WSW
March 7:13 AM 7:08 PM 11 hr 55 min 6:33 PM · 51 min 268° W
April 6:25 AM 7:38 PM 13 hr 12 min 7:02 PM · 52 min 283° WNW
May 5:50 AM 8:06 PM 14 hr 16 min 7:28 PM · 56 min 295° WNW
June 5:37 AM 8:28 PM 14 hr 51 min 7:48 PM · 59 min 301° WNW
July 5:49 AM 8:26 PM 14 hr 37 min 7:47 PM · 58 min 299° WNW
August 6:16 AM 7:57 PM 13 hr 41 min 7:20 PM · 54 min 289° WNW
September 6:43 AM 7:11 PM 12 hr 28 min 6:36 PM · 51 min 275° W
October 7:10 AM 6:24 PM 11 hr 13 min 5:48 PM · 52 min 260° W
November 6:44 AM 4:49 PM 10 hr 5 min 4:10 PM · 57 min 247° WSW
December 7:12 AM 4:41 PM 9 hr 29 min 4:00 PM · 1 hr 241° 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
PhaseTime
Astronomical dawn5:52 AM
Nautical dawn6:22 AM
Blue hour (morning)6:54 AM
Golden hour (morning)7:04 AM
Sunrise7:21 AM
Solar noon12:46 PM
Sunset6:10 PM
Golden hour (evening)5:34 PM
Blue hour (evening)6:27 PM
Nautical dusk7:09 PM
Astronomical dusk7:39 PM

Seven local days in St. Louis

The week ahead
DateMorning goldenSunriseSunsetEvening golden
Sun, Oct 25 7:04 AM – 7:57 AM 7:21 AM 6:10 PM 5:34 PM – 6:27 PM
Mon, Oct 26 7:05 AM – 7:59 AM 7:22 AM 6:09 PM 5:32 PM – 6:26 PM
Tue, Oct 27 7:06 AM – 8:00 AM 7:23 AM 6:08 PM 5:31 PM – 6:25 PM
Wed, Oct 28 7:07 AM – 8:01 AM 7:24 AM 6:07 PM 5:30 PM – 6:23 PM
Thu, Oct 29 7:08 AM – 8:02 AM 7:25 AM 6:06 PM 5:28 PM – 6:22 PM
Fri, Oct 30 7:09 AM – 8:03 AM 7:26 AM 6:04 PM 5:27 PM – 6:21 PM
Sat, Oct 31 7:10 AM – 8:04 AM 7:27 AM 6:03 PM 5:26 PM – 6:20 PM

Moon and candidate vantage points

Context to verify

Moon on the selected date

The moon over St. Louis is a Full Moon, 99% lit. Treat this as lighting context, not a visibility forecast.

Candidate vantage points

The list supplies map-search starting points, not ranked recommendations. Confirm access, closures, permits, safety, and horizon obstructions yourself before setting out. For the selected date, the mathematical sunset bearing is 255° WSW. If the composition faces differently, use the bearing planner in the month table above to identify sampled months; the result remains a planning aid and does not prove visibility.

Plan and calculation notes

Assumptions and limits

Plan this specific light

In St. Louis, the evening golden hour window runs 53 min on the selected date and approaches from 255° WSW. 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 St. Louis

When is golden hour in St. Louis?
Whenever the sun is between +6° above and −4° below the horizon — a band that wraps around both sunrise and sunset. For St. Louis, the representative monthly window is 51 minutes in March and 60 minutes in December; separate morning and evening crossings merge or wrap overnight near the poles. Pick a date above for the minute-exact times.
Which direction does the sun set in St. Louis?
Roughly west, but the useful number changes with the season: 241° WSW in December versus 301° WNW in June in St. Louis. That 60° difference decides whether a street or shoreline actually faces the light on your date.
How much does day length change in St. Louis?
Enough to reshape a shoot plan in St. Louis: 9 hr 29 min of daylight in December versus 14 hr 51 min in June. See the table above for the month you're planning.
Does St. Louis 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 St. Louis? Budget 1 hr of gold, then the blue window follows immediately — both computed per date in the light-windows panel.

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