Isla Vista is a city of about 23,096 people in Santa Barbara County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:10 AM and sets at 6:20 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:46 PM – 6:36 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 | 7:06 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:40 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 27m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:05 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:56 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Isla Vista
At Isla Vista 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Isla Vista
62 photo locations lie within 80 km of Isla Vista. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Isla Vista is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Light Station, about 190 km (118 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 Light Station | Lighthouse | 190 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 190 km (118 mi) | 2 |
| Gaviota State Park | State Park | 35 km (22 mi) | 3 |
| Figueroa Mountain | Mountain Peak | 38 km (24 mi) | 3 |
| San Rafael Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 44 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Cherry Canyon Hike | Canyon | 49 km (31 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Northwest Quadrant | Beach | 50 km (31 mi) | 3 |
| Point Conception Light | Lighthouse | 56 km (35 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:51 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:49 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:53 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 10:00 PM – 4:00 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:55 PM – 2:35 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:30 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:32 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:49 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 21% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (43%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.