Stargaze Atlas

Massachusetts dark-sky map — light pollution by town

171 towns rated · darkest: Carver · measured from VIIRS 2024 satellite night-lights

Massachusetts has 171 towns rated for light pollution here, from its darkest — Carver (Bortle 4) — to its brightest city cores, with 7 rating as genuinely dark or rural sky (Bortle 4 or better). Every town is listed with the nearest measurably darker town to drive to. No site in the state holds an International Dark Sky Place certification, so its darkest skies are the rural towns at the top of the table. Ratings are a VIIRS satellite proxy, not survey-grade sky-brightness readings.

Statewide Massachusetts · VIIRS 2024
Towns rated
171

7 rate as genuinely dark or rural sky (about Bortle 4 or better).

Darkest town
Carver
Genuinely dark towns
7
Certified dark-sky places
0

Nearest certified dark-sky places to Massachusetts

No site in Massachusetts holds an International Dark Sky Place certification. Measured from Carver, the state's darkest rated town, these are the nearest certified destinations — all 92 are on the map.

Nearest certified International Dark Sky Places to Carver, Massachusetts.
Place Designation State From Carver
Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument Dark Sky Sanctuary Maine 300 mi
Cherry Springs State Park Dark Sky Park Pennsylvania 365 mi
James River State Park Dark Sky Park Virginia 520 mi

All Massachusetts towns by darkness

Darkest sky first, each with the nearest measurably darker town to drive to. Sort or filter below.

Massachusetts towns, darkest sky first.
Sky Nearest darker sky
Carver 4 Rural / suburban transition 1.9 already the darkest nearby
Rehoboth 4 Rural / suburban transition 2.0 already the darkest nearby
Yarmouth 4 Rural / suburban transition 2.0 already the darkest nearby
Mashpee 4 Rural / suburban transition 2.7 already the darkest nearby
Barnstable 4 Rural / suburban transition 2.8 already the darkest nearby
Duxbury 4 Rural / suburban transition 2.8 already the darkest nearby
Westford 4 Rural / suburban transition 2.9 already the darkest nearby
Head of Westport 5 Suburban sky 3.2 Rehoboth — B4, 18 mi
Norwell 5 Suburban sky 3.2 Duxbury — B4, 10 mi
Harwich 5 Suburban sky 3.8 Yarmouth — B4, 8 mi
Hull 5 Suburban sky 3.8 Duxbury — B4, 22 mi
Acton 5 Suburban sky 3.9 Westford — B4, 7 mi
Amherst 5 Suburban sky 3.9 Stafford, CT — B4, 29 mi
Easton 5 Suburban sky 3.9 Rehoboth — B4, 14 mi
Sudbury 5 Suburban sky 4.1 Westford — B4, 14 mi
Weston 5 Suburban sky 4.1 Westford — B4, 16 mi
Charlton 5 Suburban sky 4.8 Stafford, CT — B4, 19 mi
Hanson 5 Suburban sky 4.9 Duxbury — B4, 11 mi
Kingston 5 Suburban sky 4.9 Duxbury — B4, 4 mi
Northbridge 5 Suburban sky 4.9 North Smithfield, RI — B4, 14 mi
Beverly Cove 5 Suburban sky 5.0 Westford — B4, 30 mi
Medway 5 Suburban sky 5.0 North Smithfield, RI — B4, 14 mi
Grafton 5 Suburban sky 5.1 North Smithfield, RI — B4, 18 mi
Somerset 5 Suburban sky 5.1 Rehoboth — B4, 8 mi
Holliston 5 Suburban sky 5.2 North Smithfield, RI — B4, 17 mi
Norfolk 5 Suburban sky 5.2 North Smithfield, RI — B4, 16 mi
Chelmsford 5 Suburban sky 5.8 Westford — B4, 4 mi
Longmeadow 5 Suburban sky 5.8 Stafford, CT — B4, 16 mi
Wayland 5 Suburban sky 5.8 Westford — B4, 16 mi
North Reading 5 Suburban sky 6.1 Westford — B4, 18 mi
Lynnfield 5 Suburban sky 6.3 Westford — B4, 20 mi
Westwood 5 Suburban sky 6.3 North Smithfield, RI — B4, 24 mi
Dudley 5 Suburban sky 6.4 Stafford, CT — B4, 19 mi
Leicester 5 Suburban sky 6.6 Stafford, CT — B4, 27 mi
South Yarmouth 5 Suburban sky 6.9 Yarmouth — B4, 4 mi
Tyngsboro 5 Suburban sky 6.9 Westford — B4, 7 mi
Swansea 5 Suburban sky 7.2 Rehoboth — B4, 7 mi
Raynham 5 Suburban sky 7.4 Rehoboth — B4, 12 mi
Concord 5 Suburban sky 7.6 Westford — B4, 9 mi
Palmer 5 Suburban sky 7.7 Stafford, CT — B4, 12 mi
Agawam 6 Bright suburban sky 8.0 Longmeadow — B5, 2 mi
Uxbridge 6 Bright suburban sky 8.0 Northbridge — B5, 5 mi
Northampton 6 Bright suburban sky 8.1 Amherst — B5, 7 mi
Milton 6 Bright suburban sky 8.7 Westwood — B5, 9 mi
Newton 6 Bright suburban sky 8.7 Weston — B5, 5 mi
Abington 6 Bright suburban sky 8.9 Hanson — B5, 4 mi
Acushnet 6 Bright suburban sky 9.0 Head of Westport — B5, 9 mi
South Hadley 6 Bright suburban sky 9.1 Amherst — B5, 8 mi
Natick 6 Bright suburban sky 9.6 Wayland — B5, 6 mi
Wrentham 6 Bright suburban sky 9.9 Norfolk — B5, 4 mi
Marblehead 6 Bright suburban sky 10 Beverly Cove — B5, 4 mi
Weymouth 6 Bright suburban sky 10 Hull — B5, 6 mi
East Bridgewater 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Hanson — B5, 5 mi
Hanover 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Norwell — B5, 4 mi
Holden 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Leicester — B5, 8 mi
Easthampton 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Amherst — B5, 10 mi
South Peabody 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Lynnfield — B5, 5 mi
Wilmington 6 Bright suburban sky 11 North Reading — B5, 5 mi
Danvers 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Beverly Cove — B5, 4 mi
Maynard 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Acton — B5, 4 mi
Amherst Center 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Amherst — B5, 1 mi
Norton 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Easton — B5, 5 mi
Swampscott 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Beverly Cove — B5, 7 mi
Tewksbury 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Chelmsford — B5, 7 mi
Gardner 6 Bright suburban sky 13 Leicester — B5, 23 mi
Shrewsbury 6 Bright suburban sky 13 Grafton — B5, 6 mi
Ashland 6 Bright suburban sky 13 Holliston — B5, 5 mi
Auburn 6 Bright suburban sky 13 Leicester — B5, 5 mi
Millbury 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Grafton — B5, 4 mi
Saugus 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Lynnfield — B5, 6 mi
Bedford 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Concord — B5, 4 mi
Whitman 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Hanson — B5, 3 mi
Fairhaven 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Head of Westport — B5, 8 mi
Holbrook 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Hanson — B5, 9 mi
Lexington 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Concord — B5, 6 mi
Winthrop 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Hull — B5, 6 mi
Greenfield 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Amherst — B5, 16 mi
North Andover 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Salem, NH — B5, 7 mi
Wellesley 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Weston — B5, 5 mi
Amesbury 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Salem, NH — B5, 15 mi
Stoughton 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Easton — B5, 7 mi
East Longmeadow 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Longmeadow — B5, 4 mi
Franklin 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Medway — B5, 4 mi
North Chicopee 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Longmeadow — B5, 9 mi
Methuen 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Salem, NH — B5, 4 mi
Rockland 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Hanson — B5, 4 mi
Dedham 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Westwood — B5, 4 mi
Dracut 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Chelmsford — B5, 6 mi
Newburyport 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Salem, NH — B5, 17 mi
Webster 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Dudley — B5, 3 mi
North Attleborough Center 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Cumberland, RI — B5, 6 mi
Newtonville 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Weston — B5, 5 mi
Southbridge 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Charlton — B5, 5 mi
West Roxbury 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Westwood — B5, 6 mi
Billerica 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Chelmsford — B5, 6 mi
Needham 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Westwood — B5, 5 mi
Winchester 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Lynnfield — B5, 8 mi
Canton 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Westwood — B5, 6 mi
Fitchburg 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Westford — B4, 19 mi
Stoneham 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Lynnfield — B5, 5 mi
Belmont 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Weston — B5, 7 mi
Marlborough 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Sudbury — B5, 7 mi
Randolph 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Westwood — B5, 10 mi
Hudson 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Sudbury — B5, 8 mi
Woburn 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Lynnfield — B5, 7 mi
Arlington 6 Bright suburban sky 19 Weston — B5, 8 mi
Burlington 6 Bright suburban sky 19 North Reading — B5, 8 mi
Middleborough 6 Bright suburban sky 19 Carver — B4, 8 mi
Melrose 6 Bright suburban sky 20 Lynnfield — B5, 6 mi
North Adams 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Greenfield — B6, 27 mi
Milford 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Medway — B5, 6 mi
Framingham Center 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Ashland — B6, 3 mi
Ludlow 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 North Chicopee — B6, 7 mi
Gloucester 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Beverly Cove — B5, 11 mi
Reading 7 Suburban / urban transition 22 Lynnfield — B5, 3 mi
Chicopee 7 Suburban / urban transition 25 North Chicopee — B6, 2 mi
Mansfield 7 Suburban / urban transition 25 Easton — B5, 5 mi
Suffolk Downs Station 7 Suburban / urban transition 25 Winthrop — B6, 1 mi
Chestnut Hill 7 Suburban / urban transition 26 Newton — B6, 2 mi
Beverly 7 Suburban / urban transition 26 Beverly Cove — B5, 1 mi
Roslindale 7 Suburban / urban transition 26 West Roxbury — B6, 2 mi
Wakefield 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Stoneham — B6, 2 mi
Leominster 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Fitchburg — B6, 5 mi
Pittsfield 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Northampton — B6, 32 mi
Watertown 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 Belmont — B6, 2 mi
Attleboro 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 North Attleborough Center — B6, 3 mi
Braintree 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 Holbrook — B6, 3 mi
Westfield 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Agawam — B6, 8 mi
Orient Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Winthrop — B6, 1 mi
Brighton 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Newtonville — B6, 2 mi
Hyannis 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 Barnstable — B4, 3 mi
Hyde Park 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 West Roxbury — B6, 2 mi
Norwood 7 Suburban / urban transition 32 Westwood — B5, 2 mi
Salem 7 Suburban / urban transition 32 Marblehead — B6, 2 mi
Haverhill 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 North Andover — B6, 6 mi
Taunton 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 Raynham — B5, 4 mi
Holyoke 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 North Chicopee — B6, 2 mi
Ashmont 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 Milton — B6, 2 mi
Brookline 7 Suburban / urban transition 35 West Roxbury — B6, 4 mi
West Springfield 7 Suburban / urban transition 35 Agawam — B6, 3 mi
Mattapan 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Milton — B6, 2 mi
Winter Hill 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Arlington — B6, 3 mi
Framingham 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Ashland — B6, 3 mi
Lowell 7 Suburban / urban transition 38 Dracut — B6, 3 mi
Peabody 7 Suburban / urban transition 38 South Peabody — B6, 2 mi
Seekonk 7 Suburban / urban transition 40 East Providence, RI — B6, 2 mi
Medford 8 City sky 41 Winter Hill — B7, 2 mi
Dorchester 8 City sky 41 Ashmont — B7, 1 mi
Somerville 8 City sky 42 Winter Hill — B7, 1 mi
Cambridge 8 City sky 43 Winter Hill — B7, 2 mi
Waltham 8 City sky 43 Newtonville — B6, 2 mi
Revere 8 City sky 48 Suffolk Downs Station — B7, 2 mi
New Bedford 8 City sky 50 Fairhaven — B6, 1 mi
Malden 8 City sky 50 Melrose — B6, 2 mi
Brockton 8 City sky 51 Abington — B6, 4 mi
Allston 8 City sky 59 Brighton — B7, 2 mi
Mission Hill 8 City sky 59 Brookline — B7, 1 mi
Fall River 8 City sky 60 Swansea — B5, 4 mi
Quincy 8 City sky 62 Milton — B6, 3 mi
Everett 8 City sky 62 Winter Hill — B7, 3 mi
East Boston 8 City sky 63 Orient Heights — B7, 2 mi
Lawrence 8 City sky 66 North Andover — B6, 2 mi
Lynn 8 City sky 67 Swampscott — B6, 2 mi
East Cambridge 8 City sky 68 Winter Hill — B7, 2 mi
Roxbury Crossing 8 City sky 76 Brookline — B7, 2 mi
Chelsea 8 City sky 86 Orient Heights — B7, 2 mi
Charlestown 8 City sky 91 Winter Hill — B7, 2 mi
Worcester 9 Inner-city sky 108 Auburn — B6, 5 mi
Back Bay 9 Inner-city sky 113 East Cambridge — B8, 1 mi
Springfield 9 Inner-city sky 118 West Springfield — B7, 2 mi
Boston 9 Inner-city sky 158 East Cambridge — B8, 1 mi

Frequently asked questions

Where are the darkest skies in Massachusetts?
The darkest town tracked here is Carver. Sort the table on this page by darkness to see the full ranking, from the most rural, star-filled skies down to the brightest city cores.
How many dark-sky towns does Massachusetts have?
Of 171 towns rated here, 7 rate as genuinely dark or rural sky (about Bortle 4 or better) — good for seeing the Milky Way on a clear, moonless night.
How are these light-pollution ratings measured?
From VIIRS 2024 annual-average satellite night-lights, sampled at each town's center and mapped to a darkness class and an estimated Bortle band. It is a satellite upward-radiance proxy for planning, not a survey-grade sky-brightness reading. See the methodology page for details.

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Bortle scale · Meteor showers · Dark-sky map · Search all towns