Hanford is a city of about 55,659 people in Kings County, California, at 76 m (249 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:11 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 | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:06 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:10 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 37m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 15m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 42m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hanford
At Hanford 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 300° (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 Hanford
16 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hanford. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hanford is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Grizzly Falls, about 96 km (60 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grizzly Falls | Waterfall | 96 km (60 mi) | 2 |
| Sawtooth Peak | Mountain Peak | 99 km (61 mi) | 2 |
| Silver Spray Falls | Waterfall | 101 km (62 mi) | 2 |
| Kaweah Gap | Mountain Pass | 101 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| Canyon View Overlook | Scenic Viewpoint | 102 km (63 mi) | 2 |
| John Muir Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 104 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Deadman Canyon | Canyon | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Blue Canyon Falls | Waterfall | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.5 | 14° |
| March | 4:02 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.7 | 22° |
| April | 1:54 AM – 4:44 AM | 2.8 | 25° |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:09 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.8 | 25° |
| September | 8:35 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.7 | 22° |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
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.