Planning estimate. Calculated in your browser from fixed city coordinates and solar-altitude thresholds. Weather, terrain, buildings, local access, and elevation are not included. Method & limits →
On this selected date, the sun reaches 40° at its highest point and the evening light approaches from 255° WSW.
Pick the month before the day
Light through 2026 in Napa
December is the generous sample in Napa — 1 hr of golden light — while March tightens the window to about 51 min. The 60° seasonal walk of the sunset point (241° WSW in December, 301° WNW in June) matters more than the clock time for framing. June days run 14 hr 49 min; by December they shrink to 9 hr 31 min.
Monthlocal day · 00–24
Exact monthly readings
Month
Sunrise
Sunset
Day length
Golden window sample
Sunset bearing
January
7:25 AM
5:13 PM
9 hr 48 min
4:33 PM · 58 min
244° WSW
February
7:01 AM
5:48 PM
10 hr 47 min
5:11 PM · 53 min
255° WSW
March
7:21 AM
7:17 PM
11 hr 55 min
6:42 PM · 51 min
268° W
April
6:34 AM
7:46 PM
13 hr 12 min
7:10 PM · 52 min
283° WNW
May
5:59 AM
8:14 PM
14 hr 15 min
7:36 PM · 56 min
295° WNW
June
5:46 AM
8:35 PM
14 hr 49 min
7:56 PM · 59 min
301° WNW
July
5:58 AM
8:33 PM
14 hr 35 min
7:54 PM · 57 min
299° WNW
August
6:25 AM
8:04 PM
13 hr 40 min
7:28 PM · 53 min
289° WNW
September
6:52 AM
7:19 PM
12 hr 27 min
6:44 PM · 51 min
275° W
October
7:19 AM
6:32 PM
11 hr 14 min
5:57 PM · 52 min
260° W
November
6:51 AM
4:58 PM
10 hr 6 min
4:19 PM · 56 min
247° WSW
December
7:20 AM
4:51 PM
9 hr 31 min
4:09 PM · 1 hr
241° WSW
Find the months when sunset faces your spot
Pick the direction your subject faces the sky. Months whose sunset lands within ±10° light up in the table above. Disabled shortcuts have no matching row in this visible mid-month sample.
Each row samples the 15th of the month at these coordinates, so dates near a month boundary can differ from the printed row — around here day length moves up to ~3 min per day in the fastest season. Clock times follow America · Los Angeles, including any daylight-saving change.
Full light and twilight schedule
Midnight to midnight
Phase
Time
Astronomical dawn
6:00 AM
Nautical dawn
6:31 AM
Blue hour (morning)
7:02 AM
Golden hour (morning)
7:12 AM
Sunrise
7:29 AM
Solar noon
12:54 PM
Sunset
6:19 PM
Golden hour (evening)
5:43 PM
Blue hour (evening)
6:36 PM
Nautical dusk
7:17 PM
Astronomical dusk
7:48 PM
Seven local days in Napa
The week ahead
Date
Morning golden
Sunrise
Sunset
Evening golden
Sun, Oct 25
7:12 AM – 8:05 AM
7:29 AM
6:19 PM
5:43 PM – 6:36 PM
Mon, Oct 26
7:13 AM – 8:06 AM
7:30 AM
6:18 PM
5:41 PM – 6:35 PM
Tue, Oct 27
7:14 AM – 8:08 AM
7:31 AM
6:17 PM
5:40 PM – 6:33 PM
Wed, Oct 28
7:15 AM – 8:09 AM
7:32 AM
6:15 PM
5:39 PM – 6:32 PM
Thu, Oct 29
7:16 AM – 8:10 AM
7:33 AM
6:14 PM
5:37 PM – 6:31 PM
Fri, Oct 30
7:17 AM – 8:11 AM
7:34 AM
6:13 PM
5:36 PM – 6:30 PM
Sat, Oct 31
7:18 AM – 8:12 AM
7:35 AM
6:12 PM
5:35 PM – 6:29 PM
Moon and candidate vantage points
Context to verify
Moon on the selected date
The moon over Napa is a Full Moon, 100% lit. Treat this as lighting context, not a visibility forecast.
Candidate vantage points
They are map-search starting points, not ranked recommendations; current access, closures, permits, safety, and unobstructed views have not been verified. The selected-date sunset bearing is 255° WSW; if a composition faces elsewhere, use the bearing planner in the month table above to find sampled months that align. This mathematical bearing is a planning aid and does not prove visibility.
In Napa, the evening golden hour window runs 53 min on the selected date and approaches from 255° WSW. Arrive 15 minutes before its start when that window occurs, then choose a position with an open view toward that bearing. Don't rely on the generic “one hour before sunset” rule here — the real window shifts with the season, so check the computed times for your date.
See the calculation method and limits before relying on the estimate in terrain-sensitive or safety-critical conditions.
Common questions
Golden hour FAQ for Napa
When is golden hour in Napa?
Start with the sun angle in Napa: +6° to −4°. The morning crossing carries sunrise and the later crossing carries sunset, while the representative monthly span is 51 minutes in March and 60 minutes in December. The selected-date light panel translates that geometry into local clock times.
Which direction does the sun set in Napa?
Roughly west, but the useful number changes with the season: 241° WSW in December versus 301° WNW in June in Napa. That 60° difference decides whether a street or shoreline actually faces the light on your date.
How much does day length change in Napa?
Enough to reshape a shoot plan in Napa: 9 hr 31 min of daylight in December versus 14 hr 49 min in June. See the table above for the month you're planning.
Does Napa get blue hour right after golden hour?
Always — the two are one continuous descent of the sun. Gold runs while the sun sits between +6° and −4° of Napa's horizon; the instant it passes −4°, blue takes over until −6°. Stay in position after a December golden window (1 hr at its longest) and the blue phase arrives without you moving a step. Exact times for both are in the panel above.