How dark is the sky in Lincoln, CA?

Satellite radiance puts Lincoln in the suburban band. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. Lincoln's sky is brighter than 58.8% 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 Lincoln

Rocklin, CA, about 5 miles away as the crow flies, measures in the suburban edge band, one step darker than Lincoln. Actual driving distance will run longer than that straight-line figure.

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

Lincoln against the rest of the dataset

Lincoln, CA has a population of about 56,268, one of 3,206 US cities of 10,000 or more residents in this dataset. Among all 3,206 cities here, Lincoln ranks 1,875 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.