How dark is the sky in Raleigh, NC?

Raleigh reads as urban on this dataset's scale. Sky glow overhead most nights. Typically only planets, the Moon, and a handful of the brightest stars are visible. Only 88.6% of the 3,206 cities measured here read darker than Raleigh.

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 Raleigh

9 miles from Raleigh, straight-line, sits Knightdale, NC, the nearest city here with a darker sky than Raleigh's own urban band.

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

Raleigh against the rest of the dataset

About 499,825 people live in Raleigh, NC, sized enough to appear in this dataset of 3,206 incorporated US cities. Among all 3,206 cities here, Raleigh ranks 2,825 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.