Stockton is a city of about 305,658 people in San Joaquin County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:19 AM and sets at 6:22 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:46 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 | 7:20 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:10 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:43 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:41 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 33m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included. Open a month for a day-by-day table with moon phases.
Where the sun rises and sets in Stockton
At Stockton 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 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
Best photo spots near Stockton
57 photo locations lie within 80 km of Stockton. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
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State Parks
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State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Beaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Stockton is estimated at Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cascade Falls, about 154 km (96 mi) away (Bortle 2). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Falls | Waterfall | 154 km (96 mi) | 2 |
| Leavitt Falls | Waterfall | 156 km (97 mi) | 2 |
| Silver Falls | Waterfall | 158 km (98 mi) | 2 |
| Peeler Lake | Lake | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Waterwheel Falls | Waterfall | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| LeConte Falls | Waterfall | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Le Conte Falls | Waterfall | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Tenaya Lake | Lake | 161 km (100 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:03 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 19° |
| April | 2:15 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:04 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| June | 10:26 PM – 3:46 AM | 5.3 | 23° |
| July | 10:19 PM – 2:19 AM | 4.0 | 23° |
| August | 9:38 PM – 12:18 AM | 2.7 | 23° |
| September | 8:44 PM – 10:14 PM | 1.5 | 20° |
| October | 7:56 PM – 8:16 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 12% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (54%). July is the warmest month and December the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.