San Juan Capistrano is a city of about 36,454 people in Orange County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:00 AM and sets at 6:12 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:38 PM – 6:28 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 | 7:32 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 11m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:01 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:54 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:47 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 24m |
| September | 6:35 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:24 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 57m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in San Juan Capistrano
At San Juan Capistrano 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 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near San Juan Capistrano
97 photo locations lie within 80 km of San Juan Capistrano. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central San Juan Capistrano is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Mud Caves, about 151 km (94 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 | 151 km (94 mi) | 3 |
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 154 km (96 mi) | 3 |
| Fish Creek Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 164 km (102 mi) | 3 |
| San Nicolas Island Light | Lighthouse | 167 km (104 mi) | 3 |
| Devils Canyon | Canyon | 168 km (104 mi) | 3 |
| Salton Sea | Lake | 170 km (106 mi) | 3 |
| In-Ko-Pah Gorge | Canyon | 174 km (108 mi) | 3 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 182 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 17° |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:32 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| May | 11:31 PM – 4:11 AM | 4.7 | 28° |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:56 AM | 6.2 | 28° |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:32 AM | 4.8 | 28° |
| August | 9:09 PM – 12:29 AM | 3.3 | 28° |
| September | 8:23 PM – 10:23 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:41 PM – 8:21 PM | 0.7 | 17° |
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.