Stargaze Atlas

Ohio dark-sky map — light pollution by town

195 towns rated · darkest: New Franklin · measured from VIIRS 2024 satellite night-lights

Ohio has 195 towns rated for light pollution here, from its darkest — New Franklin (Bortle 5) — to its brightest city cores, with 0 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 Ohio · VIIRS 2024
Towns rated
195

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

Darkest town
New Franklin
Genuinely dark towns
0
Certified dark-sky places
0

Nearest certified dark-sky places to Ohio

No site in Ohio holds an International Dark Sky Place certification. Measured from New Franklin, 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 New Franklin, Ohio.
Place Designation State From New Franklin
Lake Hudson State Recreation Area Dark-sky preserve Michigan 155 mi
Cherry Springs State Park Dark Sky Park Pennsylvania 200 mi
Potawatomi Wildlife Park Dark-sky preserve Indiana 240 mi

All Ohio towns by darkness

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

Ohio towns, darkest sky first.
Sky Nearest darker sky
New Franklin 5 Suburban sky 4.1 Green Valley, MD — B4, 250 mi
Green 5 Suburban sky 5.6 Green Valley, MD — B4, 250 mi
Clayton 5 Suburban sky 5.9 Caledonia, WI — B4, 275 mi
Beavercreek 5 Suburban sky 7.8 Caledonia, WI — B4, 295 mi
Vermilion-on-the-Lake 6 Bright suburban sky 8.3 New Franklin — B5, 53 mi
Trotwood 6 Bright suburban sky 8.9 Clayton — B5, 5 mi
Pataskala 6 Bright suburban sky 9.6 Beavercreek — B5, 76 mi
Seven Hills 6 Bright suburban sky 9.9 New Franklin — B5, 32 mi
Richmond Heights 6 Bright suburban sky 10 Green — B5, 42 mi
Goshen 6 Bright suburban sky 10 Beavercreek — B5, 33 mi
Pickerington 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Beavercreek — B5, 71 mi
Lewis Center 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Beavercreek — B5, 65 mi
Mack 6 Bright suburban sky 11 Beavercreek — B5, 49 mi
Bridgetown 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Beavercreek — B5, 49 mi
Maumee 6 Bright suburban sky 12 Grosse Ile, MI — B5, 47 mi
Stow 6 Bright suburban sky 13 Green — B5, 15 mi
Vermilion 6 Bright suburban sky 13 New Franklin — B5, 54 mi
Wickliffe 6 Bright suburban sky 13 Green — B5, 46 mi
Sylvania 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Grosse Ile, MI — B5, 41 mi
Trenton 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Beavercreek — B5, 26 mi
North Ridgeville 6 Bright suburban sky 14 New Franklin — B5, 40 mi
Monroe 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Beavercreek — B5, 25 mi
White Oak 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Beavercreek — B5, 45 mi
Avon Lake 6 Bright suburban sky 14 New Franklin — B5, 46 mi
Forest Park 6 Bright suburban sky 14 Beavercreek — B5, 37 mi
Avon 6 Bright suburban sky 15 New Franklin — B5, 44 mi
Eastlake 6 Bright suburban sky 15 Green — B5, 49 mi
Copley 6 Bright suburban sky 16 New Franklin — B5, 12 mi
Conneaut 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Green — B5, 84 mi
Finneytown 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Beavercreek — B5, 43 mi
West Carrollton City 6 Bright suburban sky 16 Beavercreek — B5, 10 mi
Norwalk 6 Bright suburban sky 16 New Franklin — B5, 60 mi
Galion 6 Bright suburban sky 16 New Franklin — B5, 67 mi
Huber Heights 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Beavercreek — B5, 10 mi
Westlake 6 Bright suburban sky 17 New Franklin — B5, 41 mi
Centerville 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Beavercreek — B5, 8 mi
Franklin 6 Bright suburban sky 17 Beavercreek — B5, 17 mi
Springboro 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Beavercreek — B5, 14 mi
Powell 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Beavercreek — B5, 61 mi
Shiloh 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Clayton — B5, 8 mi
North Royalton 6 Bright suburban sky 18 New Franklin — B5, 27 mi
Defiance 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Grosse Ile, MI — B5, 86 mi
Loveland 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Beavercreek — B5, 32 mi
Urbana 6 Bright suburban sky 18 Beavercreek — B5, 32 mi
Struthers 6 Bright suburban sky 19 Franklin Park, PA — B5, 42 mi
Wilmington 6 Bright suburban sky 19 Beavercreek — B5, 22 mi
Perrysburg 6 Bright suburban sky 19 Grosse Ile, MI — B5, 47 mi
Kettering 6 Bright suburban sky 20 Beavercreek — B5, 6 mi
Aurora 7 Suburban / urban transition 20 Stow — B6, 12 mi
Mason 7 Suburban / urban transition 20 Monroe — B6, 6 mi
Parma 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Seven Hills — B6, 3 mi
Sidney 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Urbana — B6, 25 mi
Lorain 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Vermilion-on-the-Lake — B6, 8 mi
Englewood 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 Clayton — B5, 3 mi
Northbrook 7 Suburban / urban transition 21 White Oak — B6, 3 mi
London 7 Suburban / urban transition 22 Urbana — B6, 22 mi
Riverside 7 Suburban / urban transition 22 Huber Heights — B6, 4 mi
Miamisburg 7 Suburban / urban transition 22 West Carrollton City — B6, 3 mi
Bay Village 7 Suburban / urban transition 22 Westlake — B6, 2 mi
Mentor 7 Suburban / urban transition 23 Eastlake — B6, 6 mi
Willowick 7 Suburban / urban transition 23 Eastlake — B6, 2 mi
Worthington 7 Suburban / urban transition 23 Powell — B6, 5 mi
Amherst 7 Suburban / urban transition 23 Vermilion-on-the-Lake — B6, 6 mi
Washington Court House 7 Suburban / urban transition 23 Wilmington — B6, 22 mi
Ashtabula 7 Suburban / urban transition 24 Conneaut — B6, 13 mi
Brook Park 7 Suburban / urban transition 24 Seven Hills — B6, 7 mi
Wadsworth 7 Suburban / urban transition 24 Copley — B6, 7 mi
Broadview Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 24 North Royalton — B6, 2 mi
Fairview Park 7 Suburban / urban transition 24 Westlake — B6, 3 mi
Brecksville 7 Suburban / urban transition 24 North Royalton — B6, 5 mi
Bellefontaine 7 Suburban / urban transition 25 Urbana — B6, 18 mi
Medina 7 Suburban / urban transition 25 Copley — B6, 12 mi
Gahanna 7 Suburban / urban transition 26 Pataskala — B6, 11 mi
Greenville 7 Suburban / urban transition 26 Clayton — B5, 22 mi
Reynoldsburg 7 Suburban / urban transition 26 Pickerington — B6, 6 mi
Alliance 7 Suburban / urban transition 26 Green — B5, 20 mi
North Canton 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Green — B5, 6 mi
Berea 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Westlake — B6, 7 mi
Cambridge 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Pataskala — B6, 58 mi
Coshocton 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Pataskala — B6, 47 mi
Macedonia 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Seven Hills — B6, 10 mi
Hudson 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Stow — B6, 6 mi
Steubenville 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Weirton, WV — B6, 4 mi
Van Wert 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Defiance — B6, 31 mi
Fairfield 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Forest Park — B6, 5 mi
Lyndhurst 7 Suburban / urban transition 27 Richmond Heights — B6, 3 mi
Dent 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Mack — B6, 2 mi
Rocky River 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Westlake — B6, 4 mi
Bexley 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Pickerington — B6, 11 mi
Norton 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Copley — B6, 5 mi
Sharonville 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Forest Park — B6, 5 mi
Willoughby 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Eastlake — B6, 3 mi
Montgomery 7 Suburban / urban transition 28 Loveland — B6, 6 mi
Grove City 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 Pickerington — B6, 18 mi
Ravenna 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 Stow — B6, 10 mi
Chillicothe 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 Pickerington — B6, 40 mi
Celina 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 Clayton — B5, 49 mi
Vandalia 7 Suburban / urban transition 29 Huber Heights — B6, 5 mi
East Liverpool 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Weirton, WV — B6, 14 mi
Monfort Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 White Oak — B6, 2 mi
Brunswick 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 North Royalton — B6, 8 mi
Whitehall 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Pickerington — B6, 9 mi
Blue Ash 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Loveland — B6, 7 mi
Upper Arlington 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Powell — B6, 11 mi
Lebanon 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Springboro — B6, 8 mi
Streetsboro 7 Suburban / urban transition 30 Stow — B6, 7 mi
Middleburg Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 North Royalton — B6, 6 mi
Tiffin 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 Norwalk — B6, 31 mi
Niles 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 Struthers — B6, 12 mi
Fairborn 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 Huber Heights — B6, 6 mi
Circleville 7 Suburban / urban transition 31 Pickerington — B6, 22 mi
Parma Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 32 Seven Hills — B6, 4 mi
Oxford 7 Suburban / urban transition 32 Trenton — B6, 15 mi
Bucyrus 7 Suburban / urban transition 32 Galion — B6, 11 mi
North Olmsted 7 Suburban / urban transition 32 Westlake — B6, 3 mi
Heath 7 Suburban / urban transition 33 Pataskala — B6, 12 mi
Bedford 7 Suburban / urban transition 33 Seven Hills — B6, 7 mi
Fostoria 7 Suburban / urban transition 33 Perrysburg — B6, 30 mi
Portsmouth 7 Suburban / urban transition 33 Meads, KY — B6, 27 mi
Glenville 7 Suburban / urban transition 33 Richmond Heights — B6, 6 mi
Twinsburg 7 Suburban / urban transition 33 Stow — B6, 11 mi
Dover 7 Suburban / urban transition 33 New Franklin — B5, 29 mi
Fremont 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 Norwalk — B6, 27 mi
Strongsville 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 North Royalton — B6, 6 mi
Garfield Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 Seven Hills — B6, 4 mi
Austintown 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 Struthers — B6, 9 mi
Dublin 7 Suburban / urban transition 34 Powell — B6, 5 mi
Ironton 7 Suburban / urban transition 35 Meads, KY — B6, 9 mi
Marietta 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 Teays Valley, WV — B6, 71 mi
Shaker Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 Richmond Heights — B6, 6 mi
Hilliard 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 Powell — B6, 10 mi
Athens 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 Pickerington — B6, 52 mi
Lakewood 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 Westlake — B6, 7 mi
Marysville 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 Powell — B6, 16 mi
Westerville 7 Suburban / urban transition 36 Lewis Center — B6, 7 mi
Lancaster 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Pickerington — B6, 14 mi
Sandusky 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Norwalk — B6, 15 mi
Piqua 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Clayton — B5, 20 mi
Bowling Green 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Perrysburg — B6, 13 mi
Collinwood 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Richmond Heights — B6, 3 mi
Delaware 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Lewis Center — B6, 8 mi
New Philadelphia 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Green — B5, 32 mi
Reading 7 Suburban / urban transition 37 Finneytown — B6, 5 mi
Kent 7 Suburban / urban transition 38 Stow — B6, 4 mi
Marion 7 Suburban / urban transition 38 Galion — B6, 20 mi
East Cleveland 7 Suburban / urban transition 39 Richmond Heights — B6, 4 mi
Xenia 7 Suburban / urban transition 39 Beavercreek — B5, 7 mi
Brooklyn 7 Suburban / urban transition 39 Seven Hills — B6, 4 mi
Norwood 7 Suburban / urban transition 39 Finneytown — B6, 5 mi
Avon Center 8 City sky 40 Avon — B6, 1 mi
Middletown 8 City sky 40 Trenton — B6, 4 mi
Massillon 8 City sky 41 North Canton — B7, 8 mi
Forestville 8 City sky 41 Fort Thomas, KY — B6, 6 mi
South Euclid 8 City sky 42 Lyndhurst — B7, 2 mi
Salem 8 City sky 42 Alliance — B7, 13 mi
Beachwood 8 City sky 42 Shaker Heights — B7, 2 mi
Barberton 8 City sky 43 Norton — B7, 2 mi
University Heights 8 City sky 43 Shaker Heights — B7, 2 mi
Oregon 8 City sky 43 Perrysburg — B6, 9 mi
Euclid 8 City sky 43 Richmond Heights — B6, 3 mi
Mount Vernon 8 City sky 43 Heath — B7, 26 mi
Zanesville 8 City sky 44 Cambridge — B7, 23 mi
Cleveland Heights 8 City sky 44 East Cleveland — B7, 2 mi
Cuyahoga Falls 8 City sky 46 Stow — B6, 3 mi
Maple Heights 8 City sky 46 Garfield Heights — B7, 2 mi
Mayfield Heights 8 City sky 46 Lyndhurst — B7, 2 mi
Tallmadge 8 City sky 46 Stow — B6, 4 mi
Clark-Fulton 8 City sky 47 Brooklyn — B7, 2 mi
Springdale 8 City sky 47 Forest Park — B6, 1 mi
Newark 8 City sky 48 Heath — B7, 3 mi
Troy 8 City sky 50 Piqua — B7, 8 mi
Toledo 8 City sky 50 Perrysburg — B6, 8 mi
Ashland 8 City sky 50 Galion — B6, 26 mi
Mansfield 8 City sky 52 Galion — B6, 15 mi
Elyria 8 City sky 52 North Ridgeville — B6, 5 mi
Detroit-Shoreway 8 City sky 52 Brooklyn — B7, 3 mi
Painesville 8 City sky 54 Mentor — B7, 6 mi
Lima 8 City sky 55 Van Wert — B7, 27 mi
Wooster 8 City sky 55 Wadsworth — B7, 19 mi
Solon 8 City sky 58 Bedford — B7, 5 mi
Bedford Heights 8 City sky 59 Bedford — B7, 2 mi
Warren 8 City sky 59 Niles — B7, 5 mi
Boardman 8 City sky 60 Struthers — B6, 4 mi
Findlay 8 City sky 62 Fostoria — B7, 14 mi
Springfield 8 City sky 65 Urbana — B6, 13 mi
Hough 8 City sky 65 Glenville — B7, 2 mi
Hamilton 8 City sky 66 Fairfield — B7, 4 mi
Warrensville Heights 8 City sky 68 Shaker Heights — B7, 3 mi
Canton 8 City sky 73 North Canton — B7, 6 mi
Cincinnati 8 City sky 82 Norwood — B7, 4 mi
Akron 9 Inner-city sky 112 Cuyahoga Falls — B8, 4 mi
Youngstown 9 Inner-city sky 122 Struthers — B6, 4 mi
Dayton 9 Inner-city sky 138 Riverside — B7, 4 mi
Columbus 9 Inner-city sky 146 Bexley — B7, 3 mi
Cleveland 9 Inner-city sky 203 Detroit-Shoreway — B8, 2 mi

Frequently asked questions

Where are the darkest skies in Ohio?
The darkest town tracked here is New Franklin. 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 Ohio have?
Of 195 towns rated here, 0 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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