City report · Georgia, United States
Athens Air quality today
Air quality in Athens currently reads AQI 53 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 53
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 10.1
- tree cover
- 58.8%
- trees in this area
- 185K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Athens, GA, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Sep 14, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Athens · AQI 53 (Moderate)
Athens's tree count comes to 184,726 trees across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²), already at or above the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Athens today: AQI 53, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 09:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Athens, 2.7 mi (4.4 km) away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
10.1
PM10
17.0
NO₂
—
O₃
19.6
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirNow
- Outdoor exercise
- Fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier
- Windows
- Fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution
- Mask
- Not needed for most people
- Air purifier
- Worth running if you are sensitive
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Athens's daily AQI at 30 on average, from 16 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 74 on Nov 8.
Where Athens stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Athens: Healthy tree cover
58.8% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²).
Trees in this area
184,726
Target trees
184,726
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Athens lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Athens has lost about 7,020 acres (2,840 hectares) of forest (about 5,300 football fields): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (65%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from September 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km northwest of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 7,020 acres (2,840 ha)about 5,300 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 15%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 4,560 acres (1,840 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 283 acres (115 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 263 acres (106 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2002, when about 670 acres (271 hectares) of forest were lost.
Acres of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 321 acres (130 ha) | 151 acres (61 ha) | 472 acres (191 ha) |
| 2002 | 301 acres (122 ha) | 368 acres (149 ha) | 670 acres (271 ha) |
| 2003 | 403 acres (163 ha) | 153 acres (62 ha) | 556 acres (225 ha) |
| 2004 | 217 acres (88 ha) | 42 acres (17 ha) | 259 acres (105 ha) |
| 2005 | 482 acres (195 ha) | 57 acres (23 ha) | 539 acres (218 ha) |
| 2006 | 197 acres (80 ha) | 122 acres (49 ha) | 319 acres (129 ha) |
| 2007 | 207 acres (84 ha) | 50 acres (20 ha) | 257 acres (104 ha) |
| 2008 | 166 acres (67 ha) | 128 acres (52 ha) | 294 acres (119 ha) |
| 2009 | 96 acres (39 ha) | 42 acres (17 ha) | 138 acres (56 ha) |
| 2010 | 157 acres (64 ha) | 38 acres (15 ha) | 195 acres (79 ha) |
| 2011 | 41 acres (17 ha) | 27 acres (11 ha) | 68 acres (28 ha) |
| 2012 | 102 acres (41 ha) | 20 acres (8 ha) | 121 acres (49 ha) |
| 2013 | 68 acres (28 ha) | 52 acres (21 ha) | 120 acres (49 ha) |
| 2014 | 84 acres (34 ha) | 74 acres (30 ha) | 158 acres (64 ha) |
| 2015 | 114 acres (46 ha) | 11 acres (4 ha) | 124 acres (50 ha) |
| 2016 | 149 acres (60 ha) | 103 acres (42 ha) | 252 acres (102 ha) |
| 2017 | 222 acres (90 ha) | 146 acres (59 ha) | 368 acres (149 ha) |
| 2018 | 150 acres (61 ha) | 9 acres (4 ha) | 159 acres (64 ha) |
| 2019 | 201 acres (81 ha) | 49 acres (20 ha) | 250 acres (101 ha) |
| 2020 | 114 acres (46 ha) | 173 acres (70 ha) | 287 acres (116 ha) |
| 2021 | 169 acres (68 ha) | 160 acres (65 ha) | 329 acres (133 ha) |
| 2022 | 172 acres (70 ha) | 109 acres (44 ha) | 282 acres (114 ha) |
| 2023 | 57 acres (23 ha) | 110 acres (44 ha) | 166 acres (67 ha) |
| 2024 | 127 acres (52 ha) | 187 acres (76 ha) | 314 acres (127 ha) |
| 2025 | 240 acres (97 ha) | 86 acres (35 ha) | 326 acres (132 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Athens?
- Towns and roadscleared for good64% · 4,470 acres (1,810 ha)
- Loggingcan grow back35% · 2,460 acres (994 ha)
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good1.3% · 91 acres (37 ha)
Also: unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
Forest gained and lost, 2000–2020
- Forest in 2000
- 55,900 acres (22,600 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 56,900 acres (23,000 ha)
- Overall change
- +996 acres (403 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Athens stayed about the same size, at about 56,900 acres (23,000 hectares): new forest grew on about 3,000 acres (1,220 hectares), and about 2,010 acres (812 hectares) were lost.
These 2000 and 2020 maps, from the University of Maryland, count any land with trees taller than 5 m as forest, including plantations and orchards. Forest that was cut or burned and had grown back by 2020 counts in both years, so the loss here is smaller than the yearly figures.
These figures cover everything within 10 km of the city center, a wider area than the report above, because forest is usually lost at a city's edges.
Source: Hansen/UMD/Google/USGS/NASA, Global Forest Change (GFC-2025-v1.13); causes: WRI/Google DeepMind drivers of forest loss; both CC BY 4.0, summed by Airleaf for each area. Forest gained and lost 2000–2020: Potapov et al. 2022, UMD GLAD Global Land Cover and Land Use Change, CC BY 4.0. Images: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data. How it's measured
In the same region
Measured cities near Athens
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Sandy Springs92.4 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 61%
- Air quality
- 73
- Atlanta96.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 25%
- Air quality
- 53
- South Fulton115.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 72%
- Air quality
- 53
- Chattanooga214.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 16%
- Air quality
- 53
- Columbia216.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 31%
- Air quality
- 63
- Columbus224.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 37%
- Air quality
- 37
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Frequently asked
Questions about Athens
What is the air quality (AQI) in Athens right now?
The latest reading for Athens shows an AQI of 53 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 09:00 local time by the Athens ground monitoring station, 2.7 mi (4.4 km) away, via OpenAQ. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Athens today?
At AQI 53 (Moderate): fine for most people; unusually sensitive people should take long or hard exercise easier. Windows: fine to open; close them if you are sensitive to pollution. Masks: not needed for most people. The reading changes through the day, so check again before a long run or ride.
What has the air quality in Athens been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Athens's daily AQI at 30 on average, from 16 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 74 on Nov 8. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Athens lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Athens has lost about 7,020 acres (2,840 hectares) of forest (about 5,300 football fields): 15% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (65%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 283 acres (115 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 263 acres (106 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Athens stayed about the same size, at about 56,900 acres (23,000 hectares): new forest grew on about 3,000 acres (1,220 hectares), and about 2,010 acres (812 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Athens?
Athens has an estimated 184,726 trees across the 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²) measured — 58.8% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Athens need?
Athens has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Athens's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Athens, via OpenAQ; the 7-day trend is the Open-Meteo / CAMS model's estimate. Tree cover is measured from Sentinel-2 L2A (ESA Copernicus) via Earth Search satellite imagery at 10 m detail across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Athens; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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