Pleasanton is a city of about 79,510 people in Alameda County, California, at 106 m (348 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:21 AM and sets at 6:25 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 PM – 6:41 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 | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 12m |
| June | 5:46 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 45m |
| July | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 31m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Pleasanton
At Pleasanton 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 Pleasanton
207 photo locations lie within 80 km of Pleasanton. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointWaterfalls
State Parks
Lakes
Lighthouses
LighthouseBeaches
BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Pleasanton is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Panoche Pass, about 138 km (86 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panoche Pass | Mountain Pass | 138 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Point Sur State Historic Park | State Park | 151 km (94 mi) | 3 |
| Point Sur Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 151 km (94 mi) | 3 |
| Chews Ridge Lookout | Fire Lookout | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Fort Ross State Historic Park | State Park | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Pine Falls | Waterfall | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Andrew Molera State Park | State Park | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Pfeiffer Falls | Waterfall | 157 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:05 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:56 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:15 AM – 4:05 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:19 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 7:58 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.