Oceanside is a city of about 175,691 people in San Diego County, California. Today the sun rises at 6:58 AM and sets at 6:11 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 PM – 6:27 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 | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 12m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:08 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:46 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 52m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 20m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 08m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 27m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 58m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Oceanside
At Oceanside 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 Oceanside
92 photo locations lie within 80 km of Oceanside. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Oceanside is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mud Caves, about 115 km (71 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mud Caves | Cave | 115 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 117 km (72 mi) | 3 |
| Devils Canyon | Canyon | 128 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 130 km (81 mi) | 3 |
| In-Ko-Pah Gorge | Canyon | 136 km (84 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Sea | Lake | 144 km (90 mi) | 3 |
| Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Buttes | Rock Formation | 164 km (102 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:19 AM – 5:09 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:31 AM – 5:31 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:29 PM – 4:09 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:44 PM – 3:54 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:07 PM – 12:27 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:21 PM – 10:21 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:30 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.