How dark is the sky in Chicago, IL?

Satellite radiance puts Chicago in the inner-city band. Among the brightest skies in this dataset. Usually just the Moon and a few of the brightest stars or planets cut through. Chicago's sky is brighter than 99.4% of the 3,206 cities in this dataset.

Worth remembering: this is satellite radiance, not a ground observation. A true Bortle rating needs a human eye at night, this is the closest large-scale substitute.

The nearest darker sky to Chicago

5 miles from Chicago, straight-line, sits Berwyn, IL, the nearest city here with a darker sky than Chicago's own inner-city band.

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

Chicago against the rest of the dataset

About 2,721,308 people live in Chicago, IL, sized enough to appear in this dataset of 3,206 incorporated US cities. Among all 3,206 cities here, Chicago ranks 3,168 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.