Riverside is a city of about 317,261 people in Riverside County, California, at 252 m (827 ft). Today the sun rises at 6:59 AM and sets at 6:11 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 | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:12 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:34 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:25 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:23 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:55 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:14 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Riverside
At Riverside 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 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near Riverside
135 photo locations lie within 80 km of Riverside. 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 Riverside is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Kelso, about 198 km (123 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kelso | Ghost Town | 198 km (123 mi) | 2 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 129 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Lavic Lake volcanic field | Volcano | 129 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Ludlow | Ghost Town | 142 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| Spanish Canyon | Canyon | 143 km (89 mi) | 3 |
| Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 150 km (93 mi) | 3 |
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 153 km (95 mi) | 3 |
| Bagdad | Ghost Town | 156 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:28 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:41 AM – 5:31 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:02 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:19 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:22 PM – 10:22 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:40 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 28% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (43%). August is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.