Carquinez Strait Light is a lighthouse in Solano County, California. The nearest town is Crockett, about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away (Carquinez Strait Light lies N of town). It dates from 1910.
Carquinez Strait Lighthouse is a lighthouse in California, United States. It was originally approximately 20 miles inland from the mouth of the San Francisco Bay near Vallejo, California.From the Wikipedia article “Carquinez Strait Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carquinez Strait Light 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 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 59° ENE | 8:36 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 120° ESE | 4:53 PM | 241° WSW | 28° | 9h 31m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 14m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 48m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:45 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:26 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 32m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Carquinez Strait Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:14 AM – 5:44 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:19 AM – 4:59 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:30 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:23 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 12:22 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 10:18 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:20 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.62 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
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.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 73 | 75 | 76 | 87 | 100 | 106 | 109 | 107 | 112 | 103 | 87 | 71 |
| Low °F | 25 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 35 | 42 | 48 | 48 | 45 | 37 | 27 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 6.2 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this lighthouse
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Crockett, 1.4 km (0.9 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Carquinez Strait Light, closest first.
Ghost Town
State Park
Lighthouse
Beach
Lighthouse
State Park
Scenic Viewpoint
Lighthouse
CanyonFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carquinez Strait Light?
What time is golden hour at Carquinez Strait Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carquinez Strait Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carquinez Strait Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carquinez Strait Light?
How far is Carquinez Strait Light from Crockett?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.