Santa Cruz is a city of about 64,220 people in Santa Cruz County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:21 AM and sets at 6:26 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:51 PM – 6:42 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 | 8:00 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 27m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:48 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Santa Cruz
At Santa Cruz 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
Best photo spots near Santa Cruz
109 photo locations lie within 80 km of Santa Cruz. 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 Cruz is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, about 160 km (99 mi) away (Bortle 2). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to October, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 160 km (99 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Light Station | Lighthouse | 160 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Point Sur State Historic Park | State Park | 75 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Point Sur Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 75 km (47 mi) | 3 |
| Andrew Molera State Park | State Park | 79 km (49 mi) | 3 |
| Pine Falls | Waterfall | 82 km (51 mi) | 3 |
| Pfeiffer Falls | Waterfall | 83 km (51 mi) | 3 |
| Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park | State Park | 84 km (52 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 | 12:13 AM – 4:13 AM | 4.0 | 24° |
| June | 10:22 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.5 | 24° |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.2 | 24° |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (77%). September is the warmest month and April the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.