Poway is a city of about 50,157 people in San Diego County, California, at 157 m (515 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:57 AM and sets at 6:10 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:37 PM – 6:26 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 | 6:52 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 13m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 5:59 PM | 11h 01m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 00m |
| May | 5:50 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 51m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 19m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 07m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 23m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:41 PM | 11h 23m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 28m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 59m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Poway
At Poway 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near Poway
79 photo locations lie within 80 km of Poway. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Botanical Gardens
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Botanical GardenNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Poway is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mud Caves, about 79 km (49 mi) away (Bortle 3). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mud Caves | Cave | 79 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 79 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Devils Canyon | Canyon | 89 km (55 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 95 km (59 mi) | 3 |
| In-Ko-Pah Gorge | Canyon | 97 km (60 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Sea | Lake | 119 km (74 mi) | 3 |
| Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 123 km (77 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Buttes | Rock Formation | 135 km (84 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:17 AM – 5:07 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:25 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:26 PM – 4:06 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:41 PM – 3:51 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:37 PM – 2:27 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:05 PM – 12:25 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:19 PM | 2.0 | 25° |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.8 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (81%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.