Manhattan Beach is a city of about 35,818 people in Los Angeles County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:03 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:30 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 | 6:59 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Manhattan Beach
At Manhattan 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 Manhattan Beach
138 photo locations lie within 80 km of Manhattan Beach. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Manhattan Beach is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is San Nicolas Island Light, about 120 km (74 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 | 120 km (74 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Southeast Quadrant | Beach | 151 km (94 mi) | 3 |
| Cherry Canyon Hike | Canyon | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Northwest Quadrant | Beach | 161 km (100 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Southwest Quadrant | Beach | 164 km (102 mi) | 3 |
| San Rafael Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 168 km (105 mi) | 3 |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 170 km (106 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 171 km (106 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:45 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:52 PM – 3:52 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:26 PM – 10:26 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (68%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.