Best time to visit Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Our verdict

The best time to visit Santa Cruz is September-November

Santa Cruz is a place lots of people visit almost all year round, but if you’re looking for the best time to go, September-November is definitely the time you should visit. This is based on a number of factors such as the weather, cost of flights and accommodation, peak travel periods and more.

The warmest month of the year in Santa Cruz is September, where the average temperature gets to around 23℃ (73℉), but temperatures can reach as high as 25℃ (78℉) on the hottest days in summer. The weather in the winter, especially around December, can reach a minimum of 6℃ (43℉).

The days are longest in Santa Cruz in July, so if you want to see the sights during the day when the sun is up for the longest time, it’s best to visit around that time of year. The wet season in Santa Cruz usually falls during the months surrounding December each year. It’s not uncommon to get some decent rainfall or light showers during this time, but on some days the weather tends to be fine for a majority of the day, with only a few drops of rain falling from a passing shower.

Keep reading to learn more about the best times to go to Santa Cruz, including detailed weather information and tools to help you find and book great deals on your travel.

Warmest month

September

Least rainfall

August

Most daylight

July

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Santa Cruz seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Santa Cruz as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Santa Cruz is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Santa Cruz

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Santa Cruz for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Santa Cruz climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Santa Cruz for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Santa Cruz in January

  • Average temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average high temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 21 days
  • Average rainfall: 65mm (3") over 9 days
21 days
of pure sunshine
9 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in January, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Cruz in February

  • Average temperature: 11℃ (52℉)
  • Average high temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 18 days
  • Average rainfall: 67mm (3") over 9 days
18 days
of pure sunshine
9 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in February, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Cruz in March

  • Average temperature: 12℃ (53℉)
  • Average high temperature: 16℃ (60℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 16 days
  • Average rainfall: 63mm (2") over 13 days
16 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in March, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Cruz in April

  • Average temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average high temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 20 days
  • Average rainfall: 24mm (1") over 9 days
20 days
of pure sunshine
9 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in April, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Cruz in May

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average high temperature: 18℃ (65℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (49℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 17mm (1") over 7 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in May, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Cruz in June

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (60℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (70℉)
  • Average low temperature: 11℃ (51℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 3mm (0") over 3 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in June, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Cruz in July

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (62℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (53℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 1mm (0") over 3 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in July, make sure you pack a coat or jumper for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Cruz in August

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 28 days
  • Average rainfall: 1mm (0") over 1 days
28 days
of pure sunshine
1 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in August, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Cruz in September

  • Average temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average high temperature: 23℃ (73℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average humidity: 70%
  • Average sunny days: 26 days
  • Average rainfall: 3mm (0") over 3 days
26 days
of pure sunshine
3 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in September, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.

Santa Cruz in October

  • Average temperature: 16℃ (61℉)
  • Average high temperature: 21℃ (69℉)
  • Average low temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average humidity: 68%
  • Average sunny days: 25 days
  • Average rainfall: 12mm (0") over 5 days
25 days
of pure sunshine
5 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in October, make sure you pack a light jumper or hoodie for the evenings and some light clothes for the daytime.


Santa Cruz in November

  • Average temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average high temperature: 17℃ (63℉)
  • Average low temperature: 10℃ (50℉)
  • Average humidity: 69%
  • Average sunny days: 22 days
  • Average rainfall: 41mm (2") over 7 days
22 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in November, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Santa Cruz in December

  • Average temperature: 11℃ (51℉)
  • Average high temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average humidity: 71%
  • Average sunny days: 19 days
  • Average rainfall: 71mm (3") over 10 days
19 days
of pure sunshine
10 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Santa Cruz in December, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Santa Cruz is usually September, where temperatures tend to rise to around 23℃ (73℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Santa Cruz is generally around August. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in August first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Santa Cruz is generally around December, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of December too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Santa Cruz, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Santa Cruz map