How dark is the sky in Waterloo, IA?

Waterloo reads as suburban on this dataset's scale. Light dome dominates much of the sky. Only the brightest stars and planets stand out clearly. That's brighter than 68.6% 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 Waterloo is from a meaningfully darker sky

50 miles from Waterloo, straight-line, sits Marion, IA, the nearest city here with a darker sky than Waterloo's own suburban band.

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

Waterloo against the rest of the dataset

About 67,477 people live in Waterloo, IA, sized enough to appear in this dataset of 3,206 incorporated US cities. Among all 3,206 cities here, Waterloo ranks 2,186 from darkest to brightest, 1 being the darkest measured.