Moab Dark Skies

The dark skies of Moab and the surrounding region are rare and valuable. Join in on sounder sleep and greater awe— as of May 2024 Moab is a Dark Sky Community! Better outdoor lighting minimizes glare that hurts our ability to see at night, light trespassing onto neighboring properties, and sky glow that obscures the stars in the region. When new lighting includes switching to LEDs or removing unwanted lighting, it can save money too.

The City of Moab and Grand County have updated outdoor lighting standards to encourage responsible outdoor lighting that protects our health and safety and brings the beauty of night skies closer to home and visitors. The City of Moab’s lighting ordinance (Moab Municipal Code 17.09.060) was adopted on Aug. 13, 2019, and updated in December 2023. The Lighting Ordinance (Ord 588) in Grand County was adopted on April 2, 2019. Outdoor lighting in Moab must be compliant by Jan. 1, 2029.

Moab updated streetlights on Main Street in winter 2024/2025. The rest of the streetlights in town will be update in winter 2026. Learn more.

Moab Dark Skies

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Necessity Direct light in the location that it is needed. Redirect or remove light that is aimed off the property or not needed. Amount Use only the amount of light you need. This is usually measured in lumens. Direction Point lights down, covering the top and sides of the bulb. For lights with “BUG” ratings, the “U,” should be 0. Time Use light when you need it, and turn it off by 10 PM if it is non-conforming. For commercial, turn off lights by an hour after closing. Color Choose a warm color temperature outdoors, 3000 Kelvin or less. See the Moab Municipal Code for full details.

	Image by City of Ft. Collins, Colorado