Brea is a city of about 41,944 people in Orange County, California, at 110 m (361 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:01 AM and sets at 6:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:28 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Brea
At Brea the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Brea
159 photo locations lie within 80 km of Brea. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Brea is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Atolia, about 158 km (98 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 158 km (98 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 161 km (100 mi) | 3 |
| San Nicolas Island Light | Lighthouse | 162 km (100 mi) | 3 |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 162 km (101 mi) | 3 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 168 km (104 mi) | 3 |
| Lavic Lake volcanic field | Volcano | 168 km (104 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon Arch | Natural Arch | 168 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| El Paso Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 172 km (107 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.