Soledad is a city of about 25,003 people in Monterey County, California, at 58 m (190 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:18 AM and sets at 6:24 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:49 PM – 6:40 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 | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 57m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 53m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 07m |
| May | 5:59 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 06m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 38m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 24m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 33m |
| September | 6:49 AM | 7:23 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:13 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:56 PM | 11h 17m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:20 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 14m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 41m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Soledad
At Soledad 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 77° in summer but only 30° in winter.
Best photo spots near Soledad
46 photo locations lie within 80 km of Soledad. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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Beaches
Canyons
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Soledad is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, about 84 km (52 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 Lighthouse | Lighthouse | 84 km (52 mi) | 2 |
| Piedras Blancas Light Station | Lighthouse | 84 km (53 mi) | 2 |
| Chews Ridge Lookout | Fire Lookout | 25 km (16 mi) | 3 |
| Tassajara Hot Springs | Hot Spring | 29 km (18 mi) | 3 |
| Pine Falls | Waterfall | 32 km (20 mi) | 3 |
| Panoche Pass | Mountain Pass | 36 km (22 mi) | 3 |
| Ventana Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 36 km (22 mi) | 3 |
| Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park | State Park | 42 km (26 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.5 | 14° |
| March | 4:09 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.7 | 21° |
| April | 2:00 AM – 4:50 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| May | 12:07 AM – 4:07 AM | 4.0 | 25° |
| June | 10:16 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.5 | 25° |
| July | 10:11 PM – 2:31 AM | 4.3 | 25° |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.8 | 24° |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.7 | 21° |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:26 PM | 0.5 | 14° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show June as the clearest month (about 26% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (49%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.