Santa Ana is a city of about 310,227 people in Orange County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:01 AM and sets at 6:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 55m |
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 Santa Ana
At Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana
144 photo locations lie within 80 km of Santa Ana. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Santa Ana is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is San Nicolas Island Light, about 156 km (97 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Nicolas Island Light | Lighthouse | 156 km (97 mi) | 3 |
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 176 km (109 mi) | 3 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 177 km (110 mi) | 3 |
| Lavic Lake volcanic field | Volcano | 177 km (110 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 180 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Mud Caves | Cave | 181 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 181 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Carrizo Canyon | Canyon | 184 km (115 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:32 AM – 5:32 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:40 AM – 4:50 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:42 PM – 4:12 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 9:48 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:44 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:10 PM – 12:20 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| 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.