Colton is a city of about 54,621 people in San Bernardino County, California, at 306 m (1,004 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:59 AM and sets at 6:10 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:36 PM – 6:26 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 | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:30 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:38 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Colton
At Colton 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 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Colton
120 photo locations lie within 80 km of Colton. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Colton is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kelso, about 184 km (115 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelso | Ghost Town | 184 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Clipper Mountain Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 189 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Aikens Arch | Natural Arch | 194 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Old Woman Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Ibex Dunes | Sand Dunes | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 114 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| Lavic Lake volcanic field | Volcano | 114 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| Spanish Canyon | Canyon | 127 km (79 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:27 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:38 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:41 PM – 4:01 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:47 PM – 3:47 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:43 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:21 PM – 10:21 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (44%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.