How dark is the sky in Springfield, MO?

Satellite radiance puts Springfield in the suburban band. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. That's brighter than 83.7% 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.

How far Springfield is from a meaningfully darker sky

Republic, MO, about 7 miles away as the crow flies, measures in the suburban edge band, one step darker than Springfield. Actual driving distance will run longer than that straight-line figure.

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

Springfield against the rest of the dataset

Springfield, MO counts roughly 170,596 residents, among the 3,206 US cities this site tracks. Among all 3,206 cities here, Springfield ranks 2,667 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.