South El Monte is a city of about 20,878 people in Los Angeles County, California, at 76 m (249 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:02 AM and sets at 6:13 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:39 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 | 7:36 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:33 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:38 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:41 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:34 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:16 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 54m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in South El Monte
At South El Monte 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 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
Best photo spots near South El Monte
167 photo locations lie within 80 km of South El Monte. 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 South El Monte is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Atolia, about 146 km (91 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 146 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 147 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 147 km (91 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon Arch | Natural Arch | 154 km (96 mi) | 3 |
| San Nicolas Island Light | Lighthouse | 158 km (98 mi) | 3 |
| El Paso Mountains Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 159 km (99 mi) | 3 |
| Bright Star Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 163 km (101 mi) | 3 |
| Robbers Roost | Rock Formation | 171 km (107 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:10 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:43 AM – 5:33 AM | 1.8 | 24° |
| April | 1:41 AM – 4:51 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| May | 11:44 PM – 4:04 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:46 PM – 2:26 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 | 16° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 14% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (42%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.