Stargaze Atlas

Texas dark-sky map — light pollution by town

244 towns rated · darkest: Canyon Lake · measured from VIIRS 2024 satellite night-lights

Texas has 244 towns rated for light pollution here, from its darkest — Canyon Lake (Bortle 4) — to its brightest city cores. 1 rate as genuinely dark or rural sky (Bortle 4 or better). Sort the table by darkness to find the best stargazing near you, then open any town for its exact rating, what you can see, the nearest darker skies to drive to, and tonight's live Moon, cloud, and aurora conditions. Ratings are a VIIRS satellite proxy for planning, not survey-grade sky-brightness readings.

Statewide Texas · VIIRS 2024
Towns rated
244

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

Darkest town
Canyon Lake
Genuinely dark towns
1

All Texas towns by darkness

Darkest sky first. Click a column heading to sort, or filter by name. A satellite reading, not a survey-grade measurement — and the real dark skies are usually a short drive out of any town.

Texas towns, darkest sky first.
Sky
Canyon Lake 4 Rural / suburban transition 2.1
Timberwood Park 5 Suburban sky 6.8
Lakeway 5 Suburban sky 7.0
Flower Mound 5 Suburban sky 7.9
Vernon 6 Bright suburban sky 9.0
Socorro Mission Number 1 Colonia 6 Bright suburban sky 11
Highland Village 6 Bright suburban sky 12
Rendon 6 Bright suburban sky 12
Seagoville 6 Bright suburban sky 13
The Woodlands 6 Bright suburban sky 13
Lancaster 6 Bright suburban sky 13
Glenn Heights 6 Bright suburban sky 13
Brushy Creek 6 Bright suburban sky 13
Buda 6 Bright suburban sky 14
La Homa 6 Bright suburban sky 15
West Odessa 6 Bright suburban sky 15
Gatesville 6 Bright suburban sky 15
Santa Fe 6 Bright suburban sky 16
Socorro 6 Bright suburban sky 16
Burkburnett 6 Bright suburban sky 16
Greatwood 6 Bright suburban sky 16
Rio Grande City 6 Bright suburban sky 16
Robinson 6 Bright suburban sky 16
Hewitt 6 Bright suburban sky 17
Boerne 6 Bright suburban sky 17
Anna 6 Bright suburban sky 17
Freeport 6 Bright suburban sky 18
Schertz 6 Bright suburban sky 18
Lake Jackson 6 Bright suburban sky 18
Sienna Plantation 6 Bright suburban sky 19
Rockport 6 Bright suburban sky 19
Pecan Grove 6 Bright suburban sky 20
Hutto 6 Bright suburban sky 20
Kyle 6 Bright suburban sky 20
La Marque 6 Bright suburban sky 20
Mineral Wells 7 Suburban / urban transition 20
Raymondville 7 Suburban / urban transition 20
Pflugerville 7 Suburban / urban transition 21
Cibolo 7 Suburban / urban transition 21
Sweetwater 7 Suburban / urban transition 21
Forney 7 Suburban / urban transition 21
Brownwood 7 Suburban / urban transition 22
Lumberton 7 Suburban / urban transition 22
Beeville 7 Suburban / urban transition 22
Dickinson 7 Suburban / urban transition 22
Fresno 7 Suburban / urban transition 22
Bonham 7 Suburban / urban transition 22
Taylor 7 Suburban / urban transition 23
Wells Branch 7 Suburban / urban transition 23
Crowley 7 Suburban / urban transition 23
Portland 7 Suburban / urban transition 23
Stephenville 7 Suburban / urban transition 24
White Settlement 7 Suburban / urban transition 24
Cedar Hill 7 Suburban / urban transition 24
Robstown 7 Suburban / urban transition 24
Gainesville 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
Bay City 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
Levelland 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
Copperas Cove 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
Horizon City 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
Port Lavaca 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
Celina 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
El Campo 7 Suburban / urban transition 25
Leander 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Red Oak 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Greenville 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Snyder 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Friendswood 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Nacogdoches 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Paris 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Henderson 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Palestine 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Trophy Club 7 Suburban / urban transition 26
Corinth 7 Suburban / urban transition 27
Azle 7 Suburban / urban transition 27
The Colony 7 Suburban / urban transition 27
Midlothian 7 Suburban / urban transition 27
Brenham 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Watauga 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Alvin 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Fredericksburg 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Mission Bend 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Alton 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Hurst 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Plainview 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Angleton 7 Suburban / urban transition 28
Kingsville 7 Suburban / urban transition 29
Fairview 7 Suburban / urban transition 29
New Territory 7 Suburban / urban transition 29
Royse City 7 Suburban / urban transition 29
Converse 7 Suburban / urban transition 29
Four Corners 7 Suburban / urban transition 30
The Trails of Frisco 7 Suburban / urban transition 30
Benbrook 7 Suburban / urban transition 30
Clute 7 Suburban / urban transition 30
Sachse 7 Suburban / urban transition 30
Seguin 7 Suburban / urban transition 31
Waxahachie 7 Suburban / urban transition 31
Sulphur Springs 7 Suburban / urban transition 31
Belton 7 Suburban / urban transition 31
Canyon 7 Suburban / urban transition 32
Kilgore 7 Suburban / urban transition 32
Del Rio 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Georgetown 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Rockwall 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Donna 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Killeen 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Universal City 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Alice 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Port Neches 7 Suburban / urban transition 33
Cedar Park 7 Suburban / urban transition 34
Pampa 7 Suburban / urban transition 34
Mansfield 7 Suburban / urban transition 34
Orange 7 Suburban / urban transition 34
Pearland 7 Suburban / urban transition 34
Spring 7 Suburban / urban transition 34
Terrell 7 Suburban / urban transition 34
Forest Hill 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Lockhart 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Prosper 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Port Arthur 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Seabrook 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Athens 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Alamo 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Burleson 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
DeSoto 7 Suburban / urban transition 35
Mercedes 7 Suburban / urban transition 36
New Caney 7 Suburban / urban transition 36
Tomball 7 Suburban / urban transition 36
San Benito 7 Suburban / urban transition 36
Hereford 7 Suburban / urban transition 36
Rosenberg 7 Suburban / urban transition 36
Cinco Ranch 7 Suburban / urban transition 36
North Richland Hills 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Richmond 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Victoria 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Roma 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Uvalde 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Andrews 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
League City 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Bellmead 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Harker Heights 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Corsicana 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Denison 7 Suburban / urban transition 37
Ennis 7 Suburban / urban transition 38
Haltom City 7 Suburban / urban transition 38
Weatherford 7 Suburban / urban transition 38
Duncanville 7 Suburban / urban transition 38
Texarkana 7 Suburban / urban transition 39
Dumas 7 Suburban / urban transition 39
Sugar Land 7 Suburban / urban transition 39
New Braunfels 7 Suburban / urban transition 39
Mount Pleasant 7 Suburban / urban transition 39
Sherman 7 Suburban / urban transition 40
Groves 7 Suburban / urban transition 40
San Marcos 8 City sky 40
San Juan 8 City sky 40
Frisco 8 City sky 40
Marshall 8 City sky 41
Cleburne 8 City sky 41
Vidor 8 City sky 42
Mesquite 8 City sky 42
Borger 8 City sky 42
Kerrville 8 City sky 42
Fort Worth 8 City sky 43
Weslaco 8 City sky 43
Big Spring 8 City sky 43
Lufkin 8 City sky 43
Hidalgo 8 City sky 45
Harlingen 8 City sky 45
McKinney 8 City sky 46
Waco 8 City sky 46
Abilene 8 City sky 46
Nederland 8 City sky 46
La Porte 8 City sky 47
Baytown 8 City sky 47
Keller 8 City sky 47
Wylie 8 City sky 47
Mission 8 City sky 47
Colleyville 8 City sky 48
Little Elm 8 City sky 48
Balch Springs 8 City sky 48
Rowlett 8 City sky 49
Jacksonville 8 City sky 50
Katy 8 City sky 51
Odessa 8 City sky 52
Saginaw 8 City sky 54
Round Rock 8 City sky 55
Garland 8 City sky 55
Channelview 8 City sky 55
Missouri City 8 City sky 56
Euless 8 City sky 57
Eagle Pass 8 City sky 58
Edinburg 8 City sky 59
Carrollton 8 City sky 59
Tyler 8 City sky 59
Pharr 8 City sky 60
Conroe 8 City sky 60
Webster 8 City sky 60
Longview 8 City sky 61
Amarillo 8 City sky 61
Grand Prairie 8 City sky 61
Huntsville 8 City sky 61
Southlake 8 City sky 61
Murphy 8 City sky 62
Deer Park 8 City sky 62
Bryan 8 City sky 63
Wichita Falls 8 City sky 63
Irving 8 City sky 64
Stafford 8 City sky 64
South Houston 8 City sky 67
Lewisville 8 City sky 67
Temple 8 City sky 67
Fort Cavazos 8 City sky 68
Pasadena 8 City sky 69
Farmers Branch 8 City sky 70
Humble 8 City sky 71
Live Oak 8 City sky 71
Galveston 8 City sky 72
Lubbock 8 City sky 72
San Angelo 8 City sky 73
Bedford 8 City sky 75
Allen 8 City sky 75
Denton 8 City sky 76
Midland 8 City sky 76
Richardson 8 City sky 76
College Station 8 City sky 76
Cypress 8 City sky 78
Coppell 8 City sky 80
Brownsville 8 City sky 89
Plano 8 City sky 92
Beaumont 8 City sky 92
McAllen 8 City sky 97
Grapevine 8 City sky 98
Arlington 9 Inner-city sky 109
Texas City 9 Inner-city sky 110
Austin 9 Inner-city sky 111
Corpus Christi 9 Inner-city sky 121
Laredo 9 Inner-city sky 121
Addison 9 Inner-city sky 128
San Antonio 9 Inner-city sky 163
Dallas 9 Inner-city sky 167
El Paso 9 Inner-city sky 188
Houston 9 Inner-city sky 237

Frequently asked questions

Where are the darkest skies in Texas?
The darkest town tracked here is Canyon Lake. 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 Texas have?
Of 244 towns rated here, 1 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.

Explore

Learn to read the Bortle scale, check the meteor shower calendar, or search all towns from the home page.