Windsor is a city of about 27,464 people in Sonoma County, California. Today the sun rises at 7:26 AM and sets at 6:27 PM; the evening golden hour runs 5:51 PM – 6:44 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 | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 46m |
| February | 7:03 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:58 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:45 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:15 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 6:00 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 51m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:35 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:48 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:34 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:54 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 29m |
Local time in America/Los Angeles, daylight saving time included.
Where the sun rises and sets in Windsor
At Windsor 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 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
Best photo spots near Windsor
84 photo locations lie within 80 km of Windsor. Each links to a full planning page with sunrise and sunset directions.
Scenic Viewpoints
Scenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointWaterfalls
Waterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallState Parks
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkLakes
Lighthouses
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseBeaches
Beach
Beach
Beach
BeachBeachBeachNight sky, Milky Way & aurora
The sky over central Windsor is estimated at Bortle 6 (bright suburban sky). The nearest truly dark location in our database is Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, about 181 km (112 mi) away (Bortle 1). 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinkyone Wilderness State Park | State Park | 181 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| Morgan Rock | Natural Arch | 181 km (112 mi) | 1 |
| Lookout Point Trail | Scenic Viewpoint | 184 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Richardson Grove State Park | State Park | 184 km (114 mi) | 1 |
| Needle Rock | Natural Arch | 184 km (115 mi) | 1 |
| Hitch'n Post | Natural Arch | 89 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Point Arena Arch | Natural Arch | 90 km (56 mi) | 2 |
| Manchester State Park | State Park | 91 km (57 mi) | 2 |
| Month | Milky Way core window (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| February | 5:08 AM – 5:28 AM | 0.3 | 13° |
| March | 4:27 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.3 | 19° |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:03 AM | 3.7 | 23° |
| June | 10:35 PM – 3:45 AM | 5.2 | 23° |
| July | 10:28 PM – 2:18 AM | 3.8 | 23° |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.5 | 22° |
| September | 8:51 PM – 10:21 PM | 1.5 | 19° |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:22 PM | 0.3 | 13° |
Cloud cover by month
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (57%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.