Pacifica is a city of about 39,260 people in San Mateo County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:24 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:51 PM – 6:43 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 | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Pacifica
At Pacifica 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 Pacifica
198 photo locations lie within 80 km of Pacifica. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
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BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Pacifica is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Hitch'n Post, about 181 km (113 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitch'n Post | Natural Arch | 181 km (113 mi) | 2 |
| Point Arena Arch | Natural Arch | 183 km (114 mi) | 2 |
| Point Arena Light | Lighthouse | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Manchester State Park | State Park | 185 km (115 mi) | 2 |
| Greenwood State Beach | State Park | 200 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Fort Ross State Historic Park | State Park | 120 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Salt Point State Park | State Park | 130 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| White Cap Arch | Natural Arch | 150 km (93 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:18 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:17 AM – 4:07 AM | 3.8 | 24° |
| June | 10:27 PM – 3:47 AM | 5.3 | 24° |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:21 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:21 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 8:01 PM – 8:21 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.