Guide Collections Nature Updated July 22, 2026

The Best US States for Stargazing

The Milky Way arching over the eroded rock formations of Badlands National Park in South Dakota at night

The Best US States for Stargazing

Collection - Nature

Badlands National Park sits inside South Dakota's Bortle Class 1 to 3 territory, the largest share of any state in this ranking.

Key Takeaways

The Best US States for Stargazing

  1. 1

    South Dakota ranks first for stargazing at 7.79 out of 10, with 52.66% of its land mapped in Bortle Classes 1 through 3.

  2. 2

    Wyoming (7.65) and Alaska (7.64) follow. Wyoming has 46.39% of its land in Bortle Classes 1 through 3, while Alaska adds aurora viewing during its dark season.

  3. 3

    Arizona ranks fifth despite posting the study's lowest cloud-cover measure at 6.7%. Its smaller share of Class 1 through 3 territory keeps it behind the four leaders.

Map

Best States for Stargazing Map

Star Visibility Score
No data
Best States for Stargazing Map
Rank State Star Visibility Score
1 South Dakota 7.79
2 Wyoming 7.65
3 Alaska 7.64
4 Montana 7.51
5 Arizona 7.37
6 Nevada 7.34
7 North Dakota 7.27
8 New Mexico 7.1
9 Nebraska 7.1
10 Oregon 6.97

South Dakota has the highest published score at 7.79, followed by Wyoming at 7.65 and Alaska at 7.64. States outside the study's top 10 are gray.

The Best US States for Stargazing

Top Five States for Stargazing

The five leaders combine high published visibility scores with substantial dark-sky territory or a low cloud-cover measure. The score uses both factors, so neither one determines the order alone.

The Milky Way visible above the rock spires of Badlands National Park, South Dakota

South Dakota

Star Visibility Score
7.79 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
11.65%

South Dakota has 52.66% of its land in Bortle Classes 1 through 3, including a top-ranked 9.42% in Class 1. Sanborn County posts the study's highest county score at 8.78, while Badlands National Park offers a practical viewing site with little surrounding light pollution.

South Dakota earns first place by pairing the largest Class 1 through 3 share in the top 10 with an 11.65% cloud-cover measure. That combination, not one isolated park, drives its 7.79 statewide score.

Star-filled night sky over open rangeland in Hot Springs County, Wyoming

Wyoming

Star Visibility Score
7.65 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
11.40%

Wyoming trails South Dakota by 0.14 points. The study maps 46.39% of Wyoming in Bortle Classes 1 through 3, including 5.15% in Class 1, and gives it an 11.4% cloud-cover measure. State law also requires electric utilities to offer outdoor-lighting options designed to reduce spill light and maintain dark skies.

Wyoming holds second because almost half its land falls in the study's three darkest classes while its cloud figure remains close to the minimum among the leaders. Lighting policy supports that advantage but is not part of the score.

The aurora borealis glowing green over a dark Alaska landscape

Alaska

Star Visibility Score
7.64 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
11.30%

Alaska posts a 7.64 visibility score with an 11.3% cloud-cover measure, the lowest figure among the top four. The study maps 31.74% of the state in Bortle Classes 1 through 3. Aurora viewing adds a separate attraction during the dark season, while long summer daylight limits observing in northern areas.

Alaska's low cloud figure offsets its smaller dark-sky share and places it third, just 0.01 points behind Wyoming. Aurora visibility makes the state distinctive, but it does not contribute to the published score.

Stars over the open plains of Montana at night

Montana

Star Visibility Score
7.51 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
12.30%

Montana takes fourth with a 7.51 score and a 12.3% cloud-cover measure. The study maps 49.18% of the state in Bortle Classes 1 through 3, including 7.95% in Class 1, giving Montana the second-largest dark-sky share among the top 10.

Montana's dark territory carries more weight than its relatively high cloud figure. Nearly half the state's land falls in the three darkest classes, which is why it remains fourth despite cloudier conditions than the other top-five states.

Night sky over Flagstaff, Arizona, the world's first International Dark Sky City

Arizona

Star Visibility Score
7.37 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
6.70%

Arizona posts the study's lowest cloud-cover measure at 6.7%, though its 7.37 visibility score places it fifth. The study maps 26.42% of the state in Bortle Classes 1 through 3. Flagstaff became the world's first International Dark Sky City in 2001.

Arizona shows why the ranking needs both inputs. Its cloud figure leads every state, but each of the four states above it has a larger Class 1 through 3 share, keeping Arizona fifth rather than first.

Best States for Stargazing Ranked 6 Through 10

Ranks six through ten range from 7.34 to 6.97. Their cards separate the statewide score from named parks and sanctuaries, which are useful viewing destinations but are not independent scoring factors.

Night sky over Great Basin National Park in Nevada

Nevada

Star Visibility Score
7.34 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
8.95%

Nevada scores 7.34 with an 8.95% cloud-cover measure. The study maps 44.55% of the state in Bortle Classes 1 through 3. Great Basin National Park earned International Dark Sky Park status in 2016 and hosts an annual astronomy festival.

Nevada takes sixth because it combines the third-lowest cloud figure in the top 10 with one of the largest dark-sky shares. Great Basin supplies a specific destination within those favorable statewide conditions.

Star-filled sky over open plains in North Dakota

North Dakota

Star Visibility Score
7.27 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
12.40%

North Dakota posts a 7.27 score with a 12.4% cloud-cover measure, 0.75 percentage points above South Dakota's figure. The study maps 22.35% of North Dakota in Bortle Classes 1 through 3, the smallest share among the top 10.

North Dakota reaches seventh because its cloud figure remains competitive even though its mapped dark-sky share trails the other finalists. The contrast shows how the combined score can favor a state with less Class 1 through 3 land.

Night sky over Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico

New Mexico

Star Visibility Score
7.10 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
7.87%

New Mexico scores 7.10 with a 7.87% cloud-cover measure, the second-lowest figure in the top 10. The study maps 30.49% of the state in Bortle Classes 1 through 3. Chaco Culture National Historical Park became an International Dark Sky Park in 2013.

New Mexico reaches eighth because its low cloud figure balances a midrange share of dark territory. Chaco Culture gives travelers a protected viewing site, but the statewide inputs determine the rank.

Stars over Merritt Reservoir in the Nebraska Sandhills

Nebraska

Star Visibility Score
7.10 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
11.81%

Nebraska shares New Mexico's rounded 7.10 score and appears ninth in the published order. Its cloud-cover measure is 11.81%, while 40.26% of the state maps to Bortle Classes 1 through 3. Merritt Reservoir became Nebraska's first International Dark Sky Park in 2022.

Nebraska's larger dark-sky share offsets its higher cloud figure and produces the tie with New Mexico. Merritt Reservoir provides a practical observing location inside the statewide pattern measured by the study.

Night sky over the Oregon Outback in Lake County, Oregon

Oregon

Star Visibility Score
6.97 / 10
Cloud Cover Measure
12.31%

Oregon closes the top 10 with a 6.97 score and a 12.31% cloud-cover measure. The study maps 38.64% of the state in Bortle Classes 1 through 3. DarkSky International designated 2.5 million acres of the Oregon Outback as a sanctuary in 2024.

Oregon's dark-sky share keeps it in the top 10 despite the group's second-highest cloud figure. The sanctuary identifies a strong destination within Oregon, but it did not create or outweigh the statewide score.

Key Figure
Nearly 80%

Share of North Americans who cannot see the Milky Way because of artificial sky brightness, according to the New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness.

Why the Best Stargazing States Are in the West

Nine of the ten states sit in the American West or the northern Great Plains. Large rural areas and low population density reduce artificial skyglow, leaving more land in the Bortle classes rewarded by the study.

Arizona leads the cloud-cover input at 6.7% but ranks fifth because only 26.42% of its land falls in Classes 1 through 3. Montana shows the reverse pattern, ranking fourth with a much larger 49.18% dark-sky share and a higher 12.3% cloud figure.

What Does the Bortle Scale Measure?

John Bortle introduced the nine-level scale in 2001 to describe night-sky brightness at a location. Class 1 represents the darkest skies, where the Milky Way, zodiacal light, and airglow can be visible. Class 9 describes bright inner-city skies.

The source study converts mapped Bortle classes into shares of each state's land area. South Dakota leads the top 10 with 9.42% in Class 1 and 52.66% across Classes 1 through 3.

When Is the Best Time to Go Stargazing?

The Milky Way's bright galactic core is easiest to see from much of the United States during summer, though timing varies by latitude and hour. Winter remains useful for viewing constellations, planets, and other seasonal objects.

A clear, moonless night matters more than a state's average rank on any single date. Planning near the new moon, checking the local forecast, and choosing a site away from city lights improve the odds of seeing faint stars.

Quick Answers

What is the best state for stargazing?
South Dakota ranks first with a 7.79 star visibility score. The study maps 52.66% of the state in Bortle Classes 1 through 3, including a top-ranked 9.42% in Class 1. Sanborn County posts the study's highest county score at 8.78.
What is the Bortle scale?
The Bortle scale is a nine-level classification of night-sky darkness created by amateur astronomer John Bortle in 2001. Class 1 is the darkest sky possible, dark enough to see the Milky Way's structure and airglow with the naked eye. Class 9 covers inner-city skies where only the brightest objects remain visible.
Is Alaska a good state for stargazing?
Yes. Alaska ranks third with a 7.64 visibility score and the lowest cloud-cover measure among the top four. Aurora viewing adds a separate reason to visit during the dark season, while long summer daylight limits observing in northern Alaska.
Which state has the driest, clearest skies for stargazing?
Arizona has the study's lowest cloud-cover measure at 6.7%. It ranks fifth overall because the four leaders each have a larger share of land in Bortle Classes 1 through 3.
When is the best time of year to see the Milky Way?
Summer usually offers the easiest evening view of the Milky Way's bright core from much of the United States, although latitude and viewing hour change the exact window. A clear night near the new moon provides darker conditions than a bright moonlit night.
Why do Western and Northern states dominate stargazing rankings?
Large rural areas and low population density leave more land with limited artificial skyglow across the West and northern Great Plains. Nine of the ten leaders come from those regions, although their cloud-cover measures and Bortle-class shares vary substantially.

Methodology

The published 10-point score combines each state's mapped shares of Bortle Classes 1 through 3 with the study's cloud-cover measure. This page reproduces the published top 10, but the score compares statewide conditions and does not guarantee clear weather at a specific site.

Sources

Information is cross-referenced with official state archives.
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