Altoona, IA: how dark is the sky here?

Altoona's sky measures suburban here. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. That's brighter than 49.4% of the 3,206 US cities in this dataset.

This comes from a satellite measuring light radiating upward, not a person's eyes on the ground, so it isn't the same as a Bortle class, though the two track each other closely.

Where to go for a darker sky near Altoona

13 miles from Altoona, straight-line, sits Johnston, IA, the nearest city here with a darker sky than Altoona's own suburban band.

Johnston, IA is itself still a measured city, not a designated dark-sky park, this only compares against the 3,206 places this dataset covers.

How Altoona compares nationally

Altoona, IA counts roughly 22,598 residents, among the 3,206 US cities this site tracks. Altoona places 1,577 of 3,206 cities in this dataset's darkest-to-brightest order.