How dark is the sky in La Plata, MD?

Satellite radiance puts La Plata in the suburban edge band. A noticeable glow near the horizon. Brighter stars and constellations are easy to pick out; the Milky Way is washed out. La Plata's sky is brighter than 24.7% 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.

Where to go for a darker sky near La Plata

The closest place in this dataset with a meaningfully darker sky is Newport News, VA, roughly 104 miles away in a straight line, rated rural. Road distance will be more.

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

La Plata against the rest of the dataset

La Plata, MD counts roughly 11,374 residents, among the 3,206 US cities this site tracks. Among all 3,206 cities here, La Plata ranks 791 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.