Santa Maria is a city of about 105,093 people in Santa Barbara County, California, at 67 m (220 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:12 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:47 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 | 7:10 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:49 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:47 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 17m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:24 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 49m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Santa Maria
At Santa Maria 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 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Santa Maria
52 photo locations lie within 80 km of Santa Maria. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Waterfalls
State Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Botanical Gardens
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Santa Maria is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Light Station, about 110 km (69 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 | 110 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 110 km (69 mi) | 2 |
| Garcia Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 35 km (22 mi) | 3 |
| Point Arguello Light | Lighthouse | 46 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Figueroa Mountain | Mountain Peak | 47 km (29 mi) | 3 |
| Wilson Canyon | Canyon | 49 km (30 mi) | 3 |
| La Panza Canyon | Canyon | 54 km (33 mi) | 3 |
| San Rafael Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 55 km (34 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:40 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.7 | 15° |
| March | 3:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:54 AM – 4:54 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| May | 11:58 PM – 4:18 AM | 4.3 | 26° |
| June | 10:05 PM – 3:55 AM | 5.8 | 26° |
| July | 10:00 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.5 | 26° |
| August | 9:25 PM – 12:25 AM | 3.0 | 26° |
| September | 8:36 PM – 10:26 PM | 1.8 | 23° |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:32 PM | 0.7 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.