Bakersfield is a city of about 373,640 people in Kern County, California, at 123 m (404 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:07 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:32 PM. Below are monthly times, sun directions, the best photo locations within 80 km and the nearest dark skies.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour by month
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 47m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Bakersfield
At Bakersfield the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Bakersfield
26 photo locations lie within 80 km of Bakersfield. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Canyons
Mountain Peaks
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Bakersfield is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Golden Trout Wilderness, about 121 km (75 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from February to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Trout Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 121 km (75 mi) | 2 |
| Volcano Falls | Waterfall | 123 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Sawtooth Peak | Mountain Peak | 127 km (79 mi) | 2 |
| Olancha Peak | Mountain Peak | 128 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Chagoopa Falls | Waterfall | 133 km (83 mi) | 2 |
| Kern Hot Spring | Hot Spring | 135 km (84 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Kaweah | Mountain Peak | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:44 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:48 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:48 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:53 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:00 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 9:56 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:19 PM – 12:19 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:30 PM – 10:20 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.