Fresno is a city of about 542,107 people in Fresno County, California, at 94 m (308 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:12 AM and sets at 6:17 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:42 PM – 6:33 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 | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 52m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:45 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 26m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:07 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 40m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Fresno
At Fresno 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 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
Best photo spots near Fresno
22 photo locations lie within 80 km of Fresno. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Fire Lookouts
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Fire LookoutFire LookoutNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Fresno is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Inyo National Forest, about 180 km (112 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inyo National Forest | National Forest | 180 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| Arlemont | Ghost Town | 192 km (119 mi) | 1 |
| Palmetto | Ghost Town | 200 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| White Bark Vista Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 86 km (53 mi) | 2 |
| John Muir Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 89 km (55 mi) | 2 |
| Silver Spray Falls | Waterfall | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Grizzly Falls | Waterfall | 92 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Blue Canyon Falls | Waterfall | 93 km (58 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.5 | 14° |
| March | 4:03 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.7 | 21° |
| April | 1:55 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:02 AM – 4:02 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:16 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:27 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:16 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 13% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.