Seal Beach is a city of about 24,619 people in Orange County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:02 AM and sets at 6:14 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:40 PM – 6:29 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 | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:56 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 55m |
| June | 5:42 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 23m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 11m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 56m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Seal Beach
At Seal Beach 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 Seal Beach
147 photo locations lie within 80 km of Seal Beach. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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BeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Seal Beach is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is San Nicolas Island Light, about 136 km (85 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 | 136 km (85 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Southeast Quadrant | Beach | 180 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 181 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 182 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 182 km (113 mi) | 3 |
| Cherry Canyon Hike | Canyon | 183 km (114 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon Arch | Natural Arch | 189 km (117 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Northwest Quadrant | Beach | 191 km (119 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:31 AM – 5:11 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:33 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.0 | 24° |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:43 PM – 4:13 AM | 4.5 | 27° |
| June | 9:49 PM – 3:49 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:45 PM – 2:25 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:11 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:24 PM – 10:24 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:42 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.7 | 17° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and June as the cloudiest (68%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.