San Diego is a city of about 1,404,452 people in San Diego County, California. Today the sun rises at 6:57 AM and sets at 6:11 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 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 | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:32 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:07 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:00 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:20 AM | 6:53 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:26 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 5:44 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:15 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 01m |
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 San Diego
At San Diego 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 243° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
Best photo spots near San Diego
64 photo locations lie within 80 km of San Diego. 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 San Diego is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Carrizo Canyon, about 91 km (57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 91 km (57 mi) | 3 |
| Mud Caves | Cave | 94 km (58 mi) | 3 |
| Devils Canyon | Canyon | 95 km (59 mi) | 3 |
| In-Ko-Pah Gorge | Canyon | 105 km (65 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 111 km (69 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Sea | Lake | 142 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge | National Wildlife Refuge | 142 km (88 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Buttes | Rock Formation | 154 km (96 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:18 AM – 5:08 AM | 0.8 | 17° |
| March | 3:29 AM – 5:29 AM | 2.0 | 25° |
| 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 | 8:20 PM – 10:30 PM | 2.2 | 25° |
| October | 7:39 PM – 8:29 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.