Oildale is a city of about 32,684 people in Kern County, California, at 143 m (469 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:07 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:32 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 | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 32m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:32 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 47m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Oildale
At Oildale the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near Oildale
29 photo locations lie within 80 km of Oildale. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
Lakes
Canyons
Mountain Peaks
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PeakNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Oildale is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Golden Trout Wilderness, about 116 km (72 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Trout Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 116 km (72 mi) | 2 |
| Volcano Falls | Waterfall | 118 km (73 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 120 km (74 mi) | 2 |
| Sawtooth Peak | Mountain Peak | 123 km (76 mi) | 2 |
| Olancha Peak | Mountain Peak | 124 km (77 mi) | 2 |
| Chagoopa Falls | Waterfall | 129 km (80 mi) | 2 |
| Kern Hot Spring | Hot Spring | 130 km (81 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Kaweah | Mountain Peak | 132 km (82 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:44 AM – 5:14 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:49 AM – 5:39 AM | 1.8 | 22° |
| April | 1:49 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 11:54 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:02 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 9:57 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:20 PM – 12:20 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:31 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.8 | 22° |
| October | 7:47 PM – 8:17 PM | 0.5 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (56%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.