Huntington Beach is a city of about 201,899 people in Orange County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:01 AM and sets at 6:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:40 PM – 6:29 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Huntington Beach
At Huntington Beach 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 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Huntington Beach
129 photo locations lie within 80 km of Huntington Beach. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Huntington Beach is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is San Nicolas Island Light, about 142 km (88 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Nicolas Island Light | Lighthouse | 142 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| Mud Caves | Cave | 187 km (116 mi) | 3 |
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 187 km (116 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 190 km (118 mi) | 3 |
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 190 km (118 mi) | 3 |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 190 km (118 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Southeast Quadrant | Beach | 191 km (119 mi) | 3 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 192 km (119 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.