Twice a year, the sun rises directly along California Street in San Francisco, sending a golden beam between buildings that points straight at the Bay Bridge span. The phenomenon is called California Henge, named after New York’s Manhattanhenge.
Today, April 9, marks the peak day for spring’s California Henge. The sun aligned with the city’s street grid at 6:54 a.m. The viewing window lasts three days — from April 8 through 10 — but April 9 offers the most precise alignment. The best vantage point is atop Nob Hill at the intersection of California Street and Gough Street, where the solar disc appears to set directly behind the Bay Bridge tower, transforming the ordinary street into a corridor of light. Hundreds of photographers with telephoto lenses and tripods gather here each April.
On Tuesday, April 8, fog partially obscured the sunrise. San Francisco Chronicle photographer Stephen Lam captured images of the sun barely breaking through the cloud layer. This morning offered better prospects, with forecasters predicting clearer skies.
The next California Henge occurs in early September 2026, closer to the autumn equinox.