Modesto is a city of about 211,266 people in Stanislaus County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 6:21 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:45 PM – 6:37 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 | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Modesto
At Modesto 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 Modesto
31 photo locations lie within 80 km of Modesto. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
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State ParkCovered Bridges
Covered Bridge
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Covered BridgeNatural Arches
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Modesto is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Tenaya Lake, about 137 km (85 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 | 137 km (85 mi) | 2 |
| Waterwheel Falls | Waterfall | 139 km (86 mi) | 2 |
| LeConte Falls | Waterfall | 139 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Le Conte Falls | Waterfall | 139 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Tresidder Peak | Mountain Peak | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| California Falls | Waterfall | 140 km (87 mi) | 2 |
| Cascade Falls | Waterfall | 141 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| White Cascade | Waterfall | 142 km (88 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:13 AM – 4:53 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:23 PM – 3:43 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:16 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:42 PM – 10:12 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 7:55 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
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.