How dark is the sky in Emporia, KS?

Emporia's sky measures suburban here. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. Emporia's sky is brighter than 47.2% 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.

How far Emporia is from a meaningfully darker sky

The closest place in this dataset with a meaningfully darker sky is Ottawa, KS, roughly 52 miles away in a straight line, rated suburban edge. Road distance will be more.

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

Emporia against the rest of the dataset

Emporia, KS counts roughly 24,354 residents, among the 3,206 US cities this site tracks. Among all 3,206 cities here, Emporia ranks 1,506 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.