How dark is the sky in Newton, IA?

Satellite radiance puts Newton in the suburban band. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. That's brighter than 58.8% of the 3,206 US 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 Newton

The closest place in this dataset with a meaningfully darker sky is Johnston, IA, roughly 35 miles away in a straight line, rated rural. Road distance will be more.

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

Newton against the rest of the dataset

Newton, IA has a population of about 15,709, one of 3,206 US cities of 10,000 or more residents in this dataset. Among all 3,206 cities here, Newton ranks 1,878 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.