Costa Mesa is a city of about 113,204 people in Orange County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:01 AM and sets at 6:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:29 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 | 7:34 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 25m |
| 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 | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Costa Mesa
At Costa Mesa 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 Costa Mesa
133 photo locations lie within 80 km of Costa Mesa. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseBeaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Costa Mesa is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is San Nicolas Island Light, about 148 km (92 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Nicolas Island Light | Lighthouse | 148 km (92 mi) | 3 |
| Mud Caves | Cave | 179 km (111 mi) | 3 |
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 183 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 188 km (117 mi) | 3 |
| Lavic Lake volcanic field | Volcano | 188 km (117 mi) | 3 |
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 188 km (117 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 192 km (119 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 192 km (119 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 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 | 17° |
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.