Rancho Cordova is a city of about 71,017 people in Sacramento County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:20 AM and sets at 6:21 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:45 PM – 6:38 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 | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:07 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Rancho Cordova
At Rancho Cordova 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Rancho Cordova
36 photo locations lie within 80 km of Rancho Cordova. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
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State Park
State ParkLakes
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenCovered Bridges
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Rancho Cordova is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Leavitt Falls, about 154 km (96 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leavitt Falls | Waterfall | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Silver Falls | Waterfall | 155 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Cascade Falls | Waterfall | 158 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Toiyabe National Forest | National Forest | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Plumas National Forest | National Forest | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Caribou | Ghost Town | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Indian Falls | Waterfall | 166 km (103 mi) | 2 |
| Fales Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 168 km (104 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:02 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:21 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:17 AM – 3:57 AM | 3.7 | 23° |
| June | 10:29 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:22 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 9:39 PM – 12:09 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (60%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.