Palmdale is a city of about 158,351 people in Los Angeles County, California, at 810 m (2,657 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:03 AM and sets at 6:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 PM – 6:29 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 | 7:00 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 06m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 15m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 51m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Palmdale
At Palmdale 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Palmdale
116 photo locations lie within 80 km of Palmdale. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Palmdale is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Ballarat, about 182 km (113 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ballarat | Ghost Town | 182 km (113 mi) | 2 |
| Olancha Peak | Mountain Peak | 187 km (116 mi) | 2 |
| Surprise Canyon | Canyon | 188 km (117 mi) | 2 |
| Golden Trout Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 192 km (119 mi) | 2 |
| Darwin | Ghost Town | 194 km (120 mi) | 2 |
| Panamint City | Ghost Town | 195 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Volcano Falls | Waterfall | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 199 km (124 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:44 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:42 AM – 4:42 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:46 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:53 PM – 3:53 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:13 PM – 12:23 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:25 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.