Portland Stargazing & Astronomy Report
Light pollution and stargazing locations near Portland
- City
- Portland
- Country
- United States
- Latitude
- 45.5051
- Longitude
- -122.6750
Key Sky Quality Metrics
- SQM (mag/arcsec²)
- 18.21
- Bortle class
- Class 8 (Class 8)
- Darkness Quotient
- 25%
- Dataset
- April 2026
City sky
Portland: The Practical Verdict
Portland in Oregon is a major city with a dense, urban setting. Its night sky suffers from high levels of light pollution, falling within Bortle Class 8. This results in a poor sky for astronomy from within the city.
The Milky Way is completely obscured by the bright urban sky, leaving only the Moon, planets, and the brightest stars as viable visual targets. Narrowband imaging may still yield results, but broadband efforts will encounter difficulties due to the grey sky background.
For truly dark skies, consider travelling to Mill Creek Road in Washington, located north-north-west of Portland and about 145 km away. As a Bortle Class 4 location, it offers markedly better conditions for deep-sky observations and astrophotography.
At a Glance
- Overall
- Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.
- Milky Way
- Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.
- Best targets from here
- Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care
- Do not prioritise
- visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way
- Best nearby upgrade
- Mill Creek Road, Washington sits about 146 km north north west and reaches Bortle 4, roughly 16x darker.
- Moderate dark window
- Portland's longest dark windows fall in December and January, with the shortest nights around June and July. Plan deep-sky sessions around the autumn and winter months for the best combination of long nights and true astronomical darkness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you see the Milky Way from Portland?
No. Portland is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.21, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.
What Bortle class is Portland?
Portland is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.21), a poor city sky for astronomy.
Is Portland good for stargazing?
Not for serious deep-sky observing. Portland is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.
Is Portland good for astrophotography?
Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Portland and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Portland without careful processing.
What can you observe from Portland?
Primary targets from Portland include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.
Where are darker skies near Portland?
The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Bell Camp Road, Oregon, about 58 km west north west of Portland, reaching Bortle 5.
When is the sky darkest in Portland?
The sky over Portland is darkest around January, December.
Is light pollution in Portland getting better or worse?
Long-term light pollution over Portland has been broadly stable across the available measurements.
north - marginal
Noticeable glow on the north horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
north-north-east - marginal
The north-north-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
north-east - marginal
The north-east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
east-north-east - marginal
Noticeable glow on the east-north-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
east - marginal
The east lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
east-south-east - fair
A faint diffuse glow on the east-south-east horizon. Stars are visible to low elevation, with minor losses near the ground.
south-east - marginal
Noticeable glow on the south-east horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
south-south-east - marginal
The south-south-east sky shows a clear glow near the ground. Above about 20 degrees the sky returns to workable.
south - fair
A trace of skyglow near the south horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
south-south-west - marginal
The south-south-west lower sky is measurably brighter than the darker quarters. Limit faint work to above about 20 degrees here.
south-west - fair
A trace of skyglow near the south-west horizon. Stars are clear throughout this direction except very close to the ground.
west-south-west - fair
Light glow detectable on the west-south-west horizon. The effect fades quickly with elevation and does not affect overhead work.
west - marginal
Noticeable glow on the west horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
west-north-west - marginal
Soft skyglow visible on the west-north-west horizon. Mid-brightness stars survive at low elevation; the faintest do not.
north-west - fair
Faint glow on the north-west horizon. Most stars are visible to low elevation; only the faintest near the ground are affected.
north-north-west - marginal
Noticeable glow on the north-north-west horizon. Stars below about 20 degrees in this direction are dimmed.
zenith - marginal
The zenith is brighter than natural. The Milky Way cannot be seen and faint deep-sky objects are not accessible.
-
Bell Camp Road, Oregon
- Direction
- WNW
- Distance (km)
- 57.7
- SQM
- 20.58
- Bortle
- 5
-
Tillamook County, Oregon
- Direction
- WSW
- Distance (km)
- 74.7
- SQM
- 20.48
- Bortle
- 5
-
Cowlitz County, Washington
- Direction
- S
- Distance (km)
- 95
- SQM
- 20.06
- Bortle
- 6
-
Mill Creek Road, Washington
- Direction
- NNW
- Distance (km)
- 146
- SQM
- 21.19
- Bortle
- 4