Westminster is a city of about 92,114 people in Orange County, California. 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:34 PM | 10h 09m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:11 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 | 6:29 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 | 8:06 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 25m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 55m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Westminster
At Westminster 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 Westminster
149 photo locations lie within 80 km of Westminster. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
WaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseLighthouseBeaches
Night sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Westminster is estimated at Bortle 9 (inner-city sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is San Nicolas Island Light, about 145 km (90 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 | 145 km (90 mi) | 3 |
| Atolia | Ghost Town | 177 km (110 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon | Canyon | 179 km (111 mi) | 3 |
| Red Rock Canyon State Park | State Park | 179 km (112 mi) | 3 |
| Pisgah Crater | Volcano | 186 km (115 mi) | 3 |
| Lavic Lake volcanic field | Volcano | 186 km (115 mi) | 3 |
| Last Chance Canyon Arch | Natural Arch | 186 km (116 mi) | 3 |
| Backcountry Beach Camping Southeast Quadrant | Beach | 189 km (117 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.