El Cajon is a city of about 103,679 people in San Diego County, California, at 133 m (436 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:56 AM and sets at 6:10 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 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 | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 00m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in El Cajon
At El Cajon 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 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near El Cajon
76 photo locations lie within 80 km of El Cajon. 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 El Cajon is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Carrizo Canyon, about 72 km (44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 72 km (44 mi) | 3 |
| Mud Caves | Cave | 74 km (46 mi) | 3 |
| Devils Canyon | Canyon | 77 km (48 mi) | 3 |
| In-Ko-Pah Gorge | Canyon | 87 km (54 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 91 km (56 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Sea | Lake | 121 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 121 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Buttes | Rock Formation | 133 km (83 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:17 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:28 AM – 5:28 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| April | 1:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:25 PM – 4:05 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:36 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:24 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:29 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 20% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.