Thousand Oaks is a city of about 129,339 people in Ventura County, California, at 270 m (886 ft). Today the sun rises at 7:05 AM and sets at 6:16 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:42 PM – 6:32 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 | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:25 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:55 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 7:05 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Thousand Oaks
At Thousand Oaks 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 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
Best photo spots near Thousand Oaks
139 photo locations lie within 80 km of Thousand Oaks. 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 Thousand Oaks is estimated at Bortle 8 (city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Cherry Canyon Hike, about 114 km (71 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherry Canyon Hike | Canyon | 114 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Southeast Quadrant | Beach | 115 km (71 mi) | 3 |
| San Rafael Wilderness | Wilderness Area | 118 km (73 mi) | 3 |
| San Nicolas Island Light | Lighthouse | 119 km (74 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Northwest Quadrant | Beach | 121 km (75 mi) | 3 |
| Figueroa Mountain | Mountain Peak | 123 km (76 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Southwest Quadrant | Beach | 127 km (79 mi) | 3 |
| Gaviota State Park | State Park | 133 km (82 mi) | 3 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 4:33 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.7 | 16° |
| March | 3:47 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.8 | 23° |
| April | 1:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.0 | 27° |
| May | 11:48 PM – 4:08 AM | 4.3 | 27° |
| June | 9:54 PM – 3:54 AM | 6.0 | 27° |
| July | 9:50 PM – 2:30 AM | 4.7 | 27° |
| August | 9:15 PM – 12:25 AM | 3.2 | 27° |
| September | 8:28 PM – 10:28 PM | 2.0 | 24° |
| October | 7:45 PM – 8:25 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.