Merced is a city of about 82,436 people in Merced County, California, at 52 m (171 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:15 AM and sets at 6:19 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:44 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 | 7:16 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 36m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:21 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 37m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Merced
At Merced the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Merced
33 photo locations lie within 80 km of Merced. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
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Covered Bridges
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Merced is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Tenaya Lake, about 108 km (67 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenaya Lake | Lake | 108 km (67 mi) | 2 |
| Tresidder Peak | Mountain Peak | 110 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Cathedral Peak | Mountain Peak | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Budd Lake | Lake | 113 km (70 mi) | 2 |
| Bernice Lake | Lake | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Waterwheel Falls | Waterfall | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Vogelsang Pass | Mountain Pass | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| LeConte Falls | Waterfall | 114 km (71 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:00 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.3 | 14° |
| March | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 1:59 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:08 AM – 4:08 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:18 PM – 3:48 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:12 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:39 PM – 10:19 PM | 1.7 | 20° |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.3 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (59%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.