Hollister is a city of about 37,462 people in San Benito County, California, at 88 m (289 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 6:24 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:48 PM – 6:40 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 | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 55m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 08m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 40m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 13m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 39m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Hollister
At Hollister 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 Hollister
87 photo locations lie within 80 km of Hollister. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
Lighthouses
Beaches
Botanical Gardens
Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Hollister is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, about 132 km (82 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Light Station | Lighthouse | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Panoche Pass | Mountain Pass | 43 km (26 mi) | 3 |
| Chews Ridge Lookout | Fire Lookout | 62 km (38 mi) | 3 |
| Pine Falls | Waterfall | 65 km (40 mi) | 3 |
| Tassajara Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 70 km (44 mi) | 3 |
| Ventana Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 71 km (44 mi) | 3 |
| Andrew Molera State Park | State Park | 74 km (46 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:54 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.5 | 14° |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.7 | 21° |
| April | 2:02 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:10 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:19 PM – 3:49 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:34 PM – 12:24 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:43 PM – 10:23 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.