Santa Rosa is a city of about 178,127 people in Sonoma County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:25 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:51 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:27 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:47 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 30m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Santa Rosa
At Santa Rosa the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Santa Rosa
143 photo locations lie within 80 km of Santa Rosa. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
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BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Santa Rosa is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, about 196 km (121 mi) away (Bortle 1). The Milky Way core is up during darkness from March to September, best in June.
Darkest skies within 200 km
| Location | Type | Distance | Est. Bortle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinkyone Wilderness State Park | State Park | 196 km (121 mi) | 1 |
| Morgan Rock | Natural Arch | 196 km (122 mi) | 1 |
| Lookout Point Trail | Scenic Viewpoint | 198 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Richardson Grove State Park | State Park | 199 km (123 mi) | 1 |
| Needle Rock | Natural Arch | 199 km (124 mi) | 1 |
| Hitch'n Post | Natural Arch | 103 km (64 mi) | 2 |
| Point Arena Arch | Natural Arch | 104 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Manchester State Park | State Park | 105 km (65 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.7 | 23° |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.