Beach Guide

Baker Beach Sunset

painted for this minute from Baker Beach’s own horizon and tonight’s cloud forecast

Mon Nov 2 · — PSTLIVE

The sun is touching the horizon · overcast at 100%

The sun goes down at

5:12 PM

T-00:05:00

It sets straight into the water, so the official sunset time is when you will see it go. Look west-south-west, to the left of Golden Gate. Golden hour starts at 4:34 PM.

Sunset Score · Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night. Thin high clouds (100%) that turn pink after the sun goes down; mid-level clouds (100%) that glow orange from underneath; nothing low on the horizon, so you should see the sun all the way down.

4 PM · 5:07 PM · 9:30 PM

Tonight’s Lineup

artisans & buskers
🌉

The Golden Gate

full afternoon

🌫️

The Fog Bank

golden hour

🌊

Pacific Surf

all day

🌅

Afterglow

20 min post-sunset

Know Before You Go

Sunset

Due west

Clear views over the Pacific from the sand

Best Spot

North end

Frame the Golden Gate Bridge with the sunset

Entry

Free

Golden Gate NRA -- no fee, no reservation

Wildlife

Harbor seals

Seals haul out on rocks near the headland

see you at sunset

Tonight’s times, the week ahead and the year by month are below. Baker Beach Sunset runs nightly, weather permitting, from about two hours before sunset.

What time is sunset at Baker Beach tonight?

Tonight, Monday, November 2, the sun sets at 5:12 PM at Baker Beach. It sets over open water here, so that is when you will see it go. Golden hour starts at 4:34 PM, and the sky stays light until about 5:38 PM. Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10. Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Sunrise today was at 6:38 AM, which gives Baker Beach 10 hr 34 min of daylight. It is fully dark by about 6:09 PM.

Baker Beach sunset times this week

The next seven evenings at Baker Beach: when the sun goes down, when golden hour starts and when the last light fades, plus the Sunset Score from each night's cloud forecast.

DaySunsetGolden hourLast lightCloudScore
Tonight5:12 PMfrom 4:34 PM5:38 PM100%3/10
Tue Nov 35:11 PMfrom 4:33 PM5:37 PM95%3/10
Wed Nov 45:10 PMfrom 4:31 PM5:36 PM39%9/10
Thu Nov 55:07 PMfrom 4:30 PM5:35 PM0%5/10
Fri Nov 65:05 PMfrom 4:29 PM5:34 PM100%3/10
Sat Nov 75:04 PMfrom 4:28 PM5:33 PM0%5/10
Sun Nov 85:02 PMfrom 4:27 PM5:32 PM0%5/10

On nights the sun drops behind land, the table shows the time it disappears from the beach, which is earlier than the official sunset.

Where to watch the sunset at Baker Beach

Tonight the sun goes down in the west-south-west (252° on a compass), to the left of Golden Gate as you face the water.

Where the sun sets through the year

The spot where the sun sets moves along the horizon through the year. Around June 21 it goes down furthest north, in the west-north-west (301°); around December 21 it goes down furthest south, in the west-south-west (237°). In June it sets over open water. In December it drops behind land 1.0 miles away.

Golden hour and blue hour at Baker Beach

Golden hour tonight runs from 4:34 PM to sunset at 5:12 PM. The sun is low, the light is warm and soft, and shadows are long. It is the best time for photos of people on the beach.

Blue hour follows, from about 5:28 PM to 5:48 PM, when the sun is below the horizon and the sky turns deep blue. The first lights come on along the shore and the water holds the last of the color.

Baker Beach sunset times by month

Sunrise, sunset and daylight on the 15th of each month. Over the next year the earliest sunset is 4:52 PM (Mon Dec 7) and the latest is 8:37 PM (Mon Jun 28). Times are local and include daylight saving time where it applies.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
November 20266:52 AM5:00 PM10 hr 9 min
December 20267:20 AM4:53 PM9 hr 34 min
January 20277:25 AM5:15 PM9 hr 50 min
February 20277:01 AM5:50 PM10 hr 48 min
March 20277:23 AM7:18 PM11 hr 55 min
April 20276:36 AM7:46 PM13 hr 10 min
May 20276:02 AM8:14 PM14 hr 12 min
June 20275:49 AM8:35 PM14 hr 46 min
July 20276:01 AM8:33 PM14 hr 32 min
August 20276:27 AM8:05 PM13 hr 39 min
September 20276:53 AM7:20 PM12 hr 27 min
October 20277:19 AM6:35 PM11 hr 15 min

Tips for a great sunset at Baker Beach

  • Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. The best spots fill up, and the light is often at its best in the last half hour before the sun goes down.
  • Stay 20 minutes after. The clouds often light up brightest after the sun is gone, and most people have already left.
  • Check the Sunset Score. Scattered clouds make the most color. A clear sky gives a clean sunset that fades fast, and a heavy overcast can hide it.
  • Plan your parking. Sunset is a busy time at popular beaches. See Baker Beach parking for lots and rates.
  • Look at the water too. Today’s wind, waves and water temperature are on the Baker Beach conditions page.
  • Make a night of it. Find places to eat and sunset cruises and things to do at Baker Beach.

How we work out the sunset time

The official sunset time is when the top of the sun sinks below a flat sea horizon. We also check Baker Beach’s real horizon: the hills, headlands and islands you can see from the sand. When land is in the way, the sun disappears before the official time, and we show you that earlier time. The Sunset Score rates how colorful the sky should be from the cloud forecast at sunset. Buildings are not included, so a tall hotel beside you can still hide the last minute.

Baker Beach sunset FAQ

What time is sunset at Baker Beach today?

The sun sets at 5:12 PM at Baker Beach today (Monday, November 2).

What time is sunrise at Baker Beach today?

The sun rose at 6:38 AM at Baker Beach today.

How many hours of daylight does Baker Beach get today?

10 hr 34 min of daylight, from 6:38 AM to 5:12 PM.

When is golden hour at Baker Beach tonight?

Golden hour at Baker Beach runs from 4:34 PM to sunset at 5:12 PM, when the sun is low and the light turns warm and soft. Blue hour follows, from 5:28 PM to 5:48 PM.

When does it get dark at Baker Beach tonight?

The sky stays light enough to see without a flashlight until about 5:38 PM, the end of civil twilight. It is fully dark by about 6:09 PM.

Will the sunset be good at Baker Beach tonight?

Tonight's Sunset Score is 3 out of 10, from the cloud forecast at sunset. Overcast (100% cover): you may not see the sun go down. Try another night.

Which direction does the sun set at Baker Beach?

Tonight the sun sets in the west-south-west, at 252° on a compass. Through the year it moves between the west-north-west in June and the west-south-west in December.

Can you see the sun set over the water at Baker Beach?

Yes. Tonight the sun sets over open water, to the west-south-west.

What are the earliest and latest sunset times at Baker Beach?

Over the next year the earliest sunset at Baker Beach is 4:52 PM on Monday, December 7, and the latest is 8:37 PM on Monday, June 28.

Sunset tonight at beaches near Baker Beach

Ocean Beach San Francisco sunset3 mi5:12 PM
Muir Beach sunset7 mi5:12 PM
Stinson Beach sunset12 mi5:12 PM
Half Moon Bay State Beach sunset21 mi5:12 PM
Santa Cruz Beach sunset63 mi5:11 PM
Capitola Beach sunset64 mi5:11 PM

See every beach on one map: sunset times tonight across the US →