How dark is the sky in Madison, NJ?

Satellite radiance puts Madison in the suburban band. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. Madison's sky is brighter than 56.7% 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.

How far Madison is from a meaningfully darker sky

The closest place in this dataset with a meaningfully darker sky is Florham Park, NJ, roughly 2 miles away in a straight line, rated suburban edge. Road distance will be more.

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

Madison against the rest of the dataset

Madison, NJ counts roughly 16,555 residents, among the 3,206 US cities this site tracks. Among all 3,206 cities here, Madison ranks 1,808 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.