Elk Grove is a city of about 166,913 people in Sacramento County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:20 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:46 PM – 6:38 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 30m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Elk Grove
At Elk Grove the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Elk Grove
42 photo locations lie within 80 km of Elk Grove. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Elk Grove is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Leavitt Falls, about 158 km (98 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leavitt Falls | Waterfall | 158 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Silver Falls | Waterfall | 159 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Cascade Falls | Waterfall | 160 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Peeler Lake | Lake | 169 km (105 mi) | 2 |
| Fales Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 172 km (107 mi) | 2 |
| Toiyabe National Forest | National Forest | 174 km (108 mi) | 2 |
| Devil's Gate Pass | Mountain Pass | 175 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Waterwheel Falls | Waterfall | 176 km (109 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.7 | 23° |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.