San Luis Obispo is a city of about 47,339 people in San Luis Obispo County, California, at 71 m (233 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:14 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:48 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 | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 02m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 01m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 31m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 19m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:20 PM | 13h 30m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:37 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 19m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 48m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in San Luis Obispo
At San Luis Obispo the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
Best photo spots near San Luis Obispo
43 photo locations lie within 80 km of San Luis Obispo. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
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Lighthouses
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LighthouseBotanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central San Luis Obispo is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Light Station, about 71 km (44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedras Blancas Light Station | Lighthouse | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 71 km (44 mi) | 2 |
| Wilson Canyon | Canyon | 26 km (16 mi) | 3 |
| Garcia Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 32 km (20 mi) | 3 |
| Harmony Headlands State Park | State Park | 37 km (23 mi) | 3 |
| McDonald Canyon | Canyon | 45 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Tucker Canyon | Canyon | 46 km (28 mi) | 3 |
| Gillis Canyon | Canyon | 47 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:51 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.5 | 15° |
| March | 3:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:55 AM – 4:55 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 12:00 AM – 4:10 AM | 4.2 | 26° |
| June | 10:07 PM – 3:57 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:03 PM – 2:33 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:26 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:37 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:33 PM | 0.7 | 15° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 18% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (48%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.