Menlo Park is a city of about 33,449 people in San Mateo County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:22 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:50 PM – 6:42 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 | 7:23 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 52m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 36m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Menlo Park
At Menlo Park the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Menlo Park
211 photo locations lie within 80 km of Menlo Park. 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 Menlo Park is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Point Sur State Historic Park, about 130 km (81 mi) away (Bortle 3). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Point Sur State Historic Park | State Park | 130 km (81 mi) | 3 |
| Point Sur Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 130 km (81 mi) | 3 |
| Andrew Molera State Park | State Park | 134 km (83 mi) | 3 |
| Pine Falls | Waterfall | 137 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Pfeiffer Falls | Waterfall | 138 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Chews Ridge Lookout | Fire Lookout | 138 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Panoche Pass | Mountain Pass | 138 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park | State Park | 139 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:17 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:16 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.8 | 24° |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.3 | 24° |
| July | 10:20 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| August | 9:40 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:47 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (59%). September is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.