Air quality comparison · Iceland, 282 km apart
Akureyri vs Reykjanesbær Air quality index (AQI) today
Akureyri and Reykjanesbær are level right now: both read AQI 7 (Good).
Over the past 7 days, on modeled daily averages, Akureyri averaged AQI 6 against 12, and it was the cleaner of the two on 7 of those days. Akureyri has more tree cover.
Iceland
AQI 7
Good
Cleaner right now
- PM2.5
- 1.2 µg/m³
- Main pollutant
- PM2.5
- Source
- Model estimate
- Reading
- Nov 11, 08:00 local
Iceland
AQI 7
Good
Cleaner right now
- PM2.5
- 1.5 µg/m³
- Main pollutant
- PM2.5
- Source
- Model estimate
- Reading
- Nov 11, 08:00 local
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
Akureyri7Reykjanesbær7
Head to head
Akureyri vs Reykjanesbær at a glance
Akureyri is ahead on 4 of 5 measures, and Reykjanesbær on 0. The better figure in each row is marked.
| Akureyri | Reykjanesbær | |
|---|---|---|
| Air quality nowUS AQI. Lower is better. | 7 | 7 |
| PM2.5Fine particles, µg/m³. | 1.2 (better) | 1.5 |
| Past week's averageUS AQI, 7 days. | 6 (better) | 12 |
| Tree coverWithin 2 km of the center. | 19.1% (better) | 2.4% |
| Trees still neededTo reach a healthy canopy. | 19.3K (better) | 63.0K |
Air quality today
What is the air like in Akureyri and Reykjanesbær right now?
Akureyri and Reykjanesbær are level right now: both read AQI 7 (Good). PM2.5 is setting the index in both.
Both readings are model estimates, with no ground station close enough to either.
AkureyriReykjanesbær
Concentrations at the same moment as the index above, for the pollutants both places report. Lower is better. The dark marks on the PM2.5 and PM10 rows show the WHO's 24-hour guidelines (15 and 45 µg/m³).
Akureyri: Model estimate · no ground station nearby. Data: Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index.
Reykjanesbær: Model estimate · no ground station nearby. Data: Open-Meteo / CAMS, US EPA index.
The past week
Which had cleaner air over the past 7 days?
Over the past 7 days, on modeled daily averages, Akureyri averaged AQI 6 against 12, and it was the cleaner of the two on 7 of those days. A single reading can catch a city on a bad afternoon; the week says whether it was the weather or the place.
- Cleaner days
- Akureyri7Reykjanesbær0
- Average AQI
- Akureyri6Reykjanesbær12
- Worst day, AQI
- Akureyri9Reykjanesbær18
The daily numbers (7 days)
| Day | Akureyri | Reykjanesbær |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 5 | 8 | 18 |
| Nov 6 | 9 | 13 |
| Nov 7 | 4 | 14 |
| Nov 8 | 4 | 10 |
| Nov 9 | 6 | 7 |
| Nov 10 | 7 | 17 |
| Nov 11 | 7 | 8 |
Daily averages from the CAMS atmospheric model for both places, so the week compares like with like. They can differ from today's reading at the top of the page wherever that comes from a ground station.
What it means today
Is it safe to go outside in Akureyri and Reykjanesbær today?
Air quality is satisfactory for everyone. Both are in the same EPA band today (Good), so the advice is the same.
Exercise outdoors
A good day to be active outside.
Windows
Open them to air the house.
Masks
Not needed.
Air purifier
Not needed.
Against everywhere else
How do Akureyri and Reykjanesbær compare with the rest of the world?
Right now Akureyri's air is cleaner than 98% of the 5,420 places Airleaf tracks, and Reykjanesbær's is cleaner than 98%.
Cleaner air than…
- Akureyri
- Beats 98%
- Reykjanesbær
- Beats 98%
More tree cover than…
- Akureyri
- Beats 44%
- Reykjanesbær
- Beats 5%
Includes model estimates as well as station readings, so it can differ from our most polluted and cleanest air rankings, which use station readings only.
Satellite timelapses
Watch both change, year by year
A clear satellite photo a year of the land around each city. Press play, turn on the forest cleared since the first year, or drag the before and after.
Akureyri
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
Reykjanesbær
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
Trees
Which has more trees, Akureyri or Reykjanesbær?
Akureyri has more tree cover: 19.1% of the land within 2 km of its center against 2.4% around Reykjanesbær, or about 33,842 trees against 5,474.
The dark mark is each place's canopy target: 30% of the land, raised where air quality is poor.
| Akureyri | Reykjanesbær | |
|---|---|---|
| Trees standingEstimated from the canopy area. | 33.8K (better) | 5.5K |
| Trees still neededTo reach the target. Fewer is better. | 19.3K (better) | 63.0K |
| CO₂ absorbed each yearBy the trees already standing. | 745K kg (better) | 120K kg |
Tree cover on the satellite image
The same 2 km radius around each center, with the tree cover the satellite found marked on it.
Reading these numbers
How this comparison is made
Air quality index
The US EPA index, computed from current pollutant concentrations: ground stations where a place has them nearby, and the CAMS atmospheric model everywhere else. It moves hour to hour, so it is a snapshot rather than a verdict on either place. The guideline marks are from the WHO's 2021 air quality guidelines.
Trees and forest
Tree cover is the share of ground under canopy within 2 km of each center, read from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at 10 m detail. It measures that circle, not the whole municipality, which is what makes the two comparable. Forest loss comes from the University of Maryland's Global Forest Change maps.
More on the method on the About Airleaf page.
Frequently asked
Akureyri vs Reykjanesbær: your questions answered
Is Akureyri cleaner than Reykjanesbær?
On air quality they are level right now: both read 7 on the US EPA index. Air quality changes through the day, so this can separate within hours. Over the past 7 days, on modeled daily averages, Akureyri averaged AQI 6 against 12, and it was the cleaner of the two on 7 of those days.
Is it safe to exercise outdoors in Akureyri and Reykjanesbær today?
The advice is the same for both today. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone. Akureyri reads AQI 7 and Reykjanesbær reads AQI 7.
Which has more trees, Akureyri or Reykjanesbær?
Akureyri has more tree cover: 19.1% of the land within 2 km of its center against 2.4% around Reykjanesbær, or about 33,842 trees against 5,474. Both figures describe the same-sized circle of ground around each center, not the whole municipality.
How many more trees do Akureyri and Reykjanesbær need?
Akureyri needs about 19,313 more to reach its canopy target of 30%, and Reykjanesbær about 62,950 to reach 30%. The target starts at 30% of the land and rises where air quality is poor.
Are Akureyri and Reykjanesbær measured the same way?
The method is the same: the US EPA index for air, and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at 10 m detail over an identical radius for trees. Both readings are model estimates, with no ground station close enough to either. Nothing is adjusted for population, city limits or climate.
How often does the Akureyri vs Reykjanesbær comparison update?
The air readings refresh about once an hour, and each reading's local time is shown at the top of the page. Tree cover comes from the latest clear satellite image of each area (Sep 8, 2026 and Sep 15, 2026), and the forest figures are published yearly.
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