City report · South Carolina, United States
Columbia Air quality today
Air quality in Columbia currently reads AQI 63 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 63
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 15.8
- tree cover
- 30.6%
- trees in this area
- 92.9K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Midtown - Downtown, Columbia, SC, 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.
Columbia · AQI 63 (Moderate)
Columbia's tree count comes to 92,864 trees across 4.7 sq mi (12.14 km²) of land, already at or above the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Columbia today: AQI 63, 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 · Irmo DJJ, 7.3 mi (11.8 km) away · median of 3 stations
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
15.8
PM10
26.0
NO₂
15.1
O₃
5.9
SO₂
1.3
CO
572.8
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 Columbia's daily AQI at 38 on average, from 23 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 66 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
30.6% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.7 sq mi (12.14 km²) of land.
Trees in this area
92,864
Target trees
92,864
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 5,220 acres (2,110 hectares) of forest (about 3,900 football fields): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (52%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km south of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 5,220 acres (2,110 ha)about 3,900 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 16%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 2,700 acres (1,090 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 188 acres (76 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 245 acres (99 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2021, when about 376 acres (152 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 | 123 acres (50 ha) | 151 acres (61 ha) | 274 acres (111 ha) |
| 2002 | 154 acres (63 ha) | 91 acres (37 ha) | 245 acres (99 ha) |
| 2003 | 126 acres (51 ha) | 12 acres (5 ha) | 139 acres (56 ha) |
| 2004 | 176 acres (71 ha) | 115 acres (47 ha) | 292 acres (118 ha) |
| 2005 | 140 acres (57 ha) | 117 acres (47 ha) | 257 acres (104 ha) |
| 2006 | 101 acres (41 ha) | 26 acres (11 ha) | 127 acres (51 ha) |
| 2007 | 164 acres (66 ha) | 63 acres (25 ha) | 226 acres (92 ha) |
| 2008 | 304 acres (123 ha) | 22 acres (9 ha) | 326 acres (132 ha) |
| 2009 | 77 acres (31 ha) | 57 acres (23 ha) | 134 acres (54 ha) |
| 2010 | 125 acres (50 ha) | 189 acres (77 ha) | 314 acres (127 ha) |
| 2011 | 73 acres (29 ha) | 212 acres (86 ha) | 284 acres (115 ha) |
| 2012 | 84 acres (34 ha) | 92 acres (37 ha) | 176 acres (71 ha) |
| 2013 | 23 acres (9 ha) | 44 acres (18 ha) | 67 acres (27 ha) |
| 2014 | 68 acres (27 ha) | 17 acres (7 ha) | 85 acres (34 ha) |
| 2015 | 69 acres (28 ha) | 42 acres (17 ha) | 111 acres (45 ha) |
| 2016 | 99 acres (40 ha) | 113 acres (46 ha) | 212 acres (86 ha) |
| 2017 | 160 acres (65 ha) | 134 acres (54 ha) | 294 acres (119 ha) |
| 2018 | 32 acres (13 ha) | 297 acres (120 ha) | 329 acres (133 ha) |
| 2019 | 122 acres (49 ha) | 87 acres (35 ha) | 209 acres (85 ha) |
| 2020 | 68 acres (27 ha) | 113 acres (46 ha) | 180 acres (73 ha) |
| 2021 | 85 acres (34 ha) | 291 acres (118 ha) | 376 acres (152 ha) |
| 2022 | 88 acres (36 ha) | 104 acres (42 ha) | 192 acres (78 ha) |
| 2023 | 67 acres (27 ha) | 118 acres (48 ha) | 184 acres (75 ha) |
| 2024 | 43 acres (17 ha) | under 1 ha | 44 acres (18 ha) |
| 2025 | 134 acres (54 ha) | 9 acres (4 ha) | 143 acres (58 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Columbia?
- Towns and roadscleared for good51% · 2,670 acres (1,080 ha)
- Loggingcan grow back48% · 2,490 acres (1,010 ha)
Also: mining and energy, 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
- 44,500 acres (18,000 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 43,700 acres (17,700 ha)
- Overall change
- −848 acres (343 ha)less forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Columbia stayed about the same size, at about 43,700 acres (17,700 hectares): new forest grew on about 1,480 acres (598 hectares), and about 2,330 acres (941 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.
- Charlotte137.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 27%
- Air quality
- 51
- North Charleston161.0 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 36%
- Air quality
- 70
- Charleston170.3 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 27%
- Air quality
- 70
- Savannah213.3 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 32%
- Air quality
- 87
- Athens216.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 59%
- Air quality
- 53
- Fayetteville229.6 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 43%
- Air quality
- 18
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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 63 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 09:00 local time by 3 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is Irmo DJJ, 7.3 mi (11.8 km) away). 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 63 (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 38 on average, from 23 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 66 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 5,220 acres (2,110 hectares) of forest (about 3,900 football fields): 16% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (52%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 188 acres (76 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 245 acres (99 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Columbia stayed about the same size, at about 43,700 acres (17,700 hectares): new forest grew on about 1,480 acres (598 hectares), and about 2,330 acres (941 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Columbia?
Columbia has an estimated 92,864 trees across the 4.7 sq mi (12.14 km²) of land measured — 30.6% 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 Midtown - Downtown, 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 Midtown - Downtown; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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