Santa Clarita is a city of about 182,371 people in Los Angeles County, California, at 368 m (1,207 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:04 AM and sets at 6:15 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:41 PM – 6:31 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 | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:39 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:52 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 57m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 26m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 14m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:38 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:18 PM | 10h 23m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 52m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Santa Clarita
At Santa Clarita 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Santa Clarita
141 photo locations lie within 80 km of Santa Clarita. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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BeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Santa Clarita is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Red Rock Canyon State Park, about 120 km (75 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 120 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 123 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Bright Star Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 127 km (79 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon Arch | Natural Arch | 129 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| San Rafael Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 130 km (80 mi) | 3 |
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 133 km (83 mi) | 3 |
| El Paso Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 136 km (84 mi) | 3 |
| Figueroa Mountain | Mountain Peak | 138 km (86 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:32 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:46 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:44 AM – 4:44 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:55 PM – 3:55 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:50 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:25 AM | 3.2 | 26° |
| September | 8:27 PM – 10:17 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:44 PM – 8:24 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.