San Jose is a city of about 997,368 people in Santa Clara County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:21 AM and sets at 6:25 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 PM – 6:41 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 | 7:21 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 53m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 50m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 10m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 43m |
| July | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 29m |
| August | 6:25 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 11m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 36m |
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 Jose
At San Jose the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near San Jose
190 photo locations lie within 80 km of San Jose. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central San Jose is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, about 194 km (121 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Light Station | Lighthouse | 194 km (121 mi) | 2 |
| Panoche Pass | Mountain Pass | 111 km (69 mi) | 3 |
| Point Sur State Historic Park | State Park | 115 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| Point Sur Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 115 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| Andrew Molera State Park | State Park | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Pine Falls | Waterfall | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Chews Ridge Lookout | Fire Lookout | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 14° |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 20° |
| April | 2:05 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:14 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:54 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:18 PM – 2:28 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:28 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.7 | 20° |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:19 PM | 0.3 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.