Golden hour in San Jose in May

San Jose lies at 37.34° N, in the mid-latitudes, where the seasons reshape the light noticeably. Its longest measured day falls on Thu 18 June 2026 with 14h 44m of daylight, and its shortest on Sat 19 December 2026 with 9h 35m — a difference of 5h 09m between the two extremes.

Evening golden hour in San Jose runs for roughly 39 minutes at the height of summer, 34 minutes around the March equinox and 41 minutes at midwinter. The warm window is actually widest in the colder months, which makes winter evenings unusually forgiving here.

The sun sets toward 301° WNW in late June and toward 241° WSW in late December, a shift of about 60° in where the last light lands — worth checking before committing to a west-facing viewpoint. In San Jose, the sky reaches full darkness between evening and morning twilight year-round.