City report · Missouri, United States
Columbia Air quality today
Air quality in Columbia currently reads AQI 58 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 58
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 12.8
- tree cover
- 41.6%
- trees in this area
- 131K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Columbia, MO, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Sep 9, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Columbia · AQI 58 (Moderate)
Columbia's tree count comes to 130,690 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 Columbia today: AQI 58, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 08:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · University Place Apartments Rooftop, 0.7 mi (1.1 km) away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
12.8
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirGradient, University Place Apartments
- 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 Columbia's daily AQI at 26 on average, from 8 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 62 on Nov 7.
Where Columbia stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Columbia: Healthy tree cover
41.6% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²).
Trees in this area
130,690
Target trees
130,690
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Columbia lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Columbia has lost about 1,820 acres (736 hectares) of forest (about 1,400 football fields): 6.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (97%) 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 east of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 1,820 acres (736 ha)about 1,400 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 6.2%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 1,770 acres (717 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2006, when about 217 acres (88 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 | 21 acres (9 ha) | under 1 ha | 22 acres (9 ha) |
| 2002 | 54 acres (22 ha) | under 1 ha | 55 acres (22 ha) |
| 2003 | 39 acres (16 ha) | under 1 ha | 41 acres (17 ha) |
| 2004 | 134 acres (54 ha) | under 1 ha | 136 acres (55 ha) |
| 2005 | 102 acres (41 ha) | under 1 ha | 103 acres (42 ha) |
| 2006 | 216 acres (88 ha) | under 1 ha | 217 acres (88 ha) |
| 2007 | 50 acres (20 ha) | under 1 ha | 50 acres (20 ha) |
| 2008 | 55 acres (22 ha) | 4 acres (2 ha) | 59 acres (24 ha) |
| 2009 | 35 acres (14 ha) | under 1 ha | 36 acres (15 ha) |
| 2010 | 28 acres (11 ha) | under 1 ha | 28 acres (11 ha) |
| 2011 | 19 acres (8 ha) | under 1 ha | 20 acres (8 ha) |
| 2012 | 68 acres (28 ha) | 6 acres (2 ha) | 74 acres (30 ha) |
| 2013 | 48 acres (19 ha) | 4 acres (2 ha) | 52 acres (21 ha) |
| 2014 | 135 acres (55 ha) | 10 acres (4 ha) | 145 acres (59 ha) |
| 2015 | 109 acres (44 ha) | under 1 ha | 110 acres (44 ha) |
| 2016 | 45 acres (18 ha) | under 1 ha | 46 acres (19 ha) |
| 2017 | 185 acres (75 ha) | under 1 ha | 187 acres (76 ha) |
| 2018 | 91 acres (37 ha) | under 1 ha | 91 acres (37 ha) |
| 2019 | 37 acres (15 ha) | under 1 ha | 37 acres (15 ha) |
| 2020 | 24 acres (10 ha) | under 1 ha | 25 acres (10 ha) |
| 2021 | 45 acres (18 ha) | under 1 ha | 47 acres (19 ha) |
| 2022 | 120 acres (49 ha) | under 1 ha | 121 acres (49 ha) |
| 2023 | 31 acres (12 ha) | 3 acres (1 ha) | 33 acres (14 ha) |
| 2024 | 46 acres (19 ha) | under 1 ha | 47 acres (19 ha) |
| 2025 | 36 acres (15 ha) | 4 acres (2 ha) | 40 acres (16 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Columbia?
- Towns and roadscleared for good94% · 1,700 acres (688 ha)
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good3% · 54 acres (22 ha)
- Unknown causescause unknown2.4% · 43 acres (17 ha)
Also: mining and energy, logging.
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
- 33,200 acres (13,400 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 35,000 acres (14,200 ha)
- Overall change
- +1,820 acres (737 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Columbia grew from about 33,200 acres (13,400 hectares) to 35,000 acres (14,200 hectares), a net gain of about 1,820 acres (737 hectares) (+5.5%). New forest grew on about 3,070 acres (1,240 hectares), while 1,250 acres (506 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 Columbia
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Independence180.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 56%
- Air quality
- 21
- St. Louis188.6 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 7%
- Air quality
- 43
- Kansas City194.6 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 14%
- Air quality
- 21
- Overland Park202.0 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 70%
- Air quality
- 13
- Springfield210.7 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 28%
- Air quality
- 17
- Olathe215.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 48%
- Air quality
- 26
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Frequently asked
Questions about Columbia
What is the air quality (AQI) in Columbia right now?
The latest reading for Columbia shows an AQI of 58 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 08:00 local time by the University Place Apartments Rooftop ground monitoring station, 0.7 mi (1.1 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 Columbia today?
At AQI 58 (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 Columbia been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Columbia's daily AQI at 26 on average, from 8 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 62 on Nov 7. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Columbia lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Columbia has lost about 1,820 acres (736 hectares) of forest (about 1,400 football fields): 6.2% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (97%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Columbia grew from about 33,200 acres (13,400 hectares) to 35,000 acres (14,200 hectares), a net gain of about 1,820 acres (737 hectares) (+5.5%). New forest grew on about 3,070 acres (1,240 hectares), while 1,250 acres (506 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Columbia?
Columbia has an estimated 130,690 trees across the 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²) measured — 41.6% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Columbia need?
Columbia has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Columbia's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Columbia, 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 Columbia; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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