Porterville is a city of about 56,058 people in Tulare County, California, at 140 m (459 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:08 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:40 PM – 6:31 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 | 7:07 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 59m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:56 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 05m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 36m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 23m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:13 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 18m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:11 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 16m |
| December | 7:00 AM | 7:40 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 43m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Porterville
At Porterville 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
Best photo spots near Porterville
49 photo locations lie within 80 km of Porterville. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Lakes
Natural Arches
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Porterville is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Palmetto, about 193 km (120 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmetto | Ghost Town | 193 km (120 mi) | 1 |
| Sawtooth Peak | Mountain Peak | 60 km (37 mi) | 2 |
| Volcano Falls | Waterfall | 64 km (40 mi) | 2 |
| Natural Bridge | Natural Arch | 66 km (41 mi) | 2 |
| Golden Trout Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 68 km (42 mi) | 2 |
| Kaweah Gap | Mountain Pass | 69 km (43 mi) | 2 |
| Chagoopa Falls | Waterfall | 70 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Mount Kaweah | Mountain Peak | 70 km (44 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 | 1:50 AM – 4:50 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| May | 11:56 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.2 | 25° |
| June | 10:05 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.7 | 25° |
| July | 9:59 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:22 PM – 12:22 AM | 3.0 | 25° |
| September | 8:31 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.7 | 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 13% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (61%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.