How dark is the sky in Staunton, VA?

Satellite radiance puts Staunton in the suburban edge band. A noticeable glow near the horizon. Brighter stars and constellations are easy to pick out; the Milky Way is washed out. Staunton's sky is brighter than 19% 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 Staunton

130 miles from Staunton, straight-line, sits Reidsville, NC, the nearest city here with a darker sky than Staunton's own suburban edge band.

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

Staunton against the rest of the dataset

Staunton, VA has a population of about 26,361, one of 3,206 US cities of 10,000 or more residents in this dataset. Among all 3,206 cities here, Staunton ranks 605 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.