Film production in St. Louis
Between June and December, usable daylight in St. Louis moves by 5h 22min — from 14h 51min down to 9h 29min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in St. Louis rises at 05:37 and sets at 20:28; the evening golden hour starts at 19:48 and runs for 40 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:12–16:41, with a 42-minute golden-hour window from 16:00.
In practice, a spread of 5h 22min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:18 | 17:04 | 9h 46min | 16:23 |
| February | 06:53 | 17:39 | 10h 46min | 17:02 |
| March | 07:13 | 19:08 | 11h 55min | 18:33 |
| April | 06:25 | 19:38 | 13h 12min | 19:02 |
| May | 05:50 | 20:06 | 14h 16min | 19:28 |
| June | 05:37 | 20:28 | 14h 51min | 19:48 |
| July | 05:49 | 20:26 | 14h 37min | 19:47 |
| August | 06:16 | 19:57 | 13h 41min | 19:20 |
| September | 06:43 | 19:11 | 12h 28min | 18:36 |
| October | 07:10 | 18:24 | 11h 13min | 17:48 |
| November | 06:44 | 16:49 | 10h 05min | 16:10 |
| December | 07:12 | 16:41 | 9h 29min | 16:00 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in St. Louis starts at 20:47 in June and ends at 20:59 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 11 minutes from 17:00. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (19:08) and September (19:11) there are 3 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
St. Louis averages 14 rain days in May and 8 in January. A three-day exterior shoot in May statistically loses 1.4 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0.3 °C | 8 | 5.7 |
| February | 2.2 °C | 8 | 7.1 |
| March | 8.1 °C | 13 | 7.5 |
| April | 13.2 °C | 12 | 9.0 |
| May | 19.2 °C | 14 | 10.2 |
| June | 24.6 °C | 12 | 11.6 |
| July | 26.0 °C | 14 | 11.8 |
| August | 24.7 °C | 13 | 11.0 |
| September | 22.2 °C | 8 | 10.3 |
| October | 15.3 °C | 10 | 8.1 |
| November | 8.0 °C | 10 | 7.0 |
| December | 3.7 °C | 8 | 6.0 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in St. Louis?
In June it starts at 19:48 and lasts 40 minutes; in December it starts at 16:00 and lasts 42 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in St. Louis get?
Between 9h 29min in December and 14h 51min in June. The 5h 22min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in St. Louis?
Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.