Madera is a city of about 64,208 people in Madera County, California, at 83 m (272 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:13 AM and sets at 6:18 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:43 PM – 6:34 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 | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:07 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:27 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 08m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:21 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:43 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:51 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Madera
At Madera 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 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
Best photo spots near Madera
19 photo locations lie within 80 km of Madera. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Waterfalls
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
Lakes
Botanical Gardens
Covered Bridges
Fire Lookouts
Fire Lookout
Fire Lookout
Fire LookoutFire LookoutNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Madera is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Inyo National Forest, about 185 km (115 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inyo National Forest | National Forest | 185 km (115 mi) | 1 |
| Arlemont | Ghost Town | 200 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| White Bark Vista Point | Scenic Viewpoint | 94 km (58 mi) | 2 |
| Arch Rock | Natural Arch | 103 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 109 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Bernice Lake | Lake | 110 km (68 mi) | 2 |
| Tenaya Lake | Lake | 110 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Maclure | Mountain Peak | 111 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:58 AM – 5:18 AM | 0.3 | 14° |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 1:57 AM – 4:47 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:05 AM – 4:05 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:14 PM – 3:44 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:08 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:29 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 7:51 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 10% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (53%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.