Air quality map

Live US air quality from EPA AirNow monitors, colored on the official AQI scale. Check your exact location or ZIP below, and read AirNow's next-day forecast where one is issued.

Preliminary data not fully verified — EPA AirNow and reporting agencies — retrieved Aug 2026

Good 0–50
Moderate 51–100
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 101–150
Unhealthy 151–200
Very Unhealthy 201–300
Hazardous 301–500

Each dot is an EPA AirNow ground monitor, colored by its current PM2.5 AQI category — hover for a quick read, click for the monitor's AQI, PM2.5, and agency. Monitors are sparse in rural areas; a gap is missing coverage, not clean air. AirNow data is preliminary.

What's my AQI?

The map shows the national picture; monitors are sparse. For the reading nearest you, share your location or enter a ZIP code — you'll get the current AQI and AirNow's forecast:

Worked example: a location reading AQI 82 (Moderate) for PM2.5 means acceptable air with some risk for unusually sensitive people; a forecast of AQI 130 tomorrow (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) is AirNow's outlook for the reporting area, not a guarantee.

An air quality map plots the Air Quality Index (AQI) from ground monitors. AQI runs 0–500 on six color-coded categories — the higher the number, the more the pollution and the more people it affects. During wildfires, the driver is fine-particle smoke (PM2.5). This map relays EPA AirNow observations; readings are preliminary and not fully verified.

The EPA AQI scale, explained

The six EPA AQI categories for PM2.5, from Good (0–50) to Hazardous (301–500), each with its official colour and range.

The colors are the EPA's, used verbatim. Each category's meaning below is EPA's own published description — relayed, not our advice:

Category	AQI	What EPA says it means
Good	0–50	Air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.
Moderate	51–100	Air quality is acceptable. There may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups	101–150	Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
Unhealthy	151–200	Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
Very Unhealthy	201–300	Health alert: the risk of health effects is increased for everyone.
Hazardous	301–500	Health warning of emergency conditions: everyone is more likely to be affected.

Category descriptions: EPA AirNow (relayed verbatim).

Why is the air quality bad today?

Satellite smoke maps show the whole atmospheric column; this AQI map shows the ground-level PM2.5 you actually breathe — the two can differ.

When the AQI spikes across a wide area, the usual cause in fire season is wildfire smoke — fine particles carried on the wind, often from fires hundreds of miles away. Other drivers include ground-level ozone on hot, stagnant days, dust, and local sources. To see whether smoke is the cause near you, compare this map with the wildfire smoke map: overlapping high AQI and a satellite smoke plume is the tell.

Air quality forecast

Where EPA and its partner agencies issue one, AirNow publishes a next-day AQI forecast for a reporting area (and flags Action Days). The "What's my AQI" tool above shows the forecast for your location alongside the current reading. A forecast is an outlook for an area, not a guarantee for your exact block — we relay it as issued, attributed. When the outlook itself is the question — how far out it reaches and how to read its direction — see the smoke forecast.

Air quality map FAQ

How do I check the air quality for my ZIP code?: Enter your 5-digit ZIP in the tool above and select Check. It returns the current AQI from the nearest AirNow monitors plus the forecast for that reporting area. No ZIP is stored.
What is a good AQI?: AQI 0–50 is "Good" (green). 51–100 is "Moderate." Above 100 the air is unhealthy for sensitive groups, then for everyone as it climbs. See the full EPA scale above.
Why is my location gray / missing on the map?: The map plots physical monitors, which are sparse in rural areas. A gap means no nearby monitor is reporting, not that the air is clean — use the location or ZIP check for the closest reading.
What should I do when the AQI is high?: We relay EPA's official category guidance (above) and don't add personal medical advice. For protective steps during smoke — the EPA's own recommendations on masks, indoor filtration, and sensitive groups — follow AirNow and your local health department. For what each AQI level means for your body and who's most at risk, see wildfire smoke & health.

Sources & method

Observations, categories, and forecasts: EPA AirNow and state, local, and tribal reporting agencies. AQI colors and category meanings are EPA's, verbatim. Health guidance is relayed official category messaging, attributed — never re-authored advice, no risk editorializing. Reviewed by Marko Visic, MPharm, BSc Physics.