Chowchilla is a city of about 18,510 people in Madera County, California, at 73 m (240 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:14 AM and sets at 6:19 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:43 PM – 6:35 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 | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 42m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:44 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Chowchilla
At Chowchilla 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Chowchilla
24 photo locations lie within 80 km of Chowchilla. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
Waterfall
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Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Natural Arches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Chowchilla is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Inyo National Forest, about 192 km (119 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inyo National Forest | National Forest | 192 km (119 mi) | 1 |
| White Bark Vista Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 105 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Tenaya Lake | Lake | 106 km (66 mi) | 2 |
| Tresidder Peak | Mountain Peak | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Bernice Lake | Lake | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Vogelsang Pass | Mountain Pass | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Cathedral Peak | Mountain Peak | 110 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Budd Lake | Lake | 110 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.3 | 14° |
| March | 4:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 1:58 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:06 AM – 4:06 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:15 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:09 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:30 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (59%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.