New York
1.2 mi (2 km) around Civic Center
Air quality now
AQI 76
14.9%
tree cover
24.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
North America · air quality report · 308 cities
United States air quality today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now the 308 cities Airleaf measures in the United States average AQI 45 (good). The worst air is in Montgomery, at AQI 152, and the cleanest in Las Cruces, at AQI 1.
At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 46 across 285 cities. 1% of the 308 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 57% have Good air.
Average right now
AQI 45
Good
US EPA index, across 308 cities
- cities measured
- 308
- worst air: Montgomery
- 152
- cleanest air: Las Cruces
- 1
- average tree cover
- 25.1%
Updated . Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf.
United States · average AQI 45
Air quality right now in the 8 largest cities in the United States
Moderate
Los Angeles
1.2 mi (2 km) around Downtown Los Angeles
Air quality now
AQI 39
4.5%
tree cover
80.0K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Washington
1.2 mi (2 km) around Northwest Washington
Air quality now
AQI 75
18.6%
tree cover
30.5K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Brooklyn
1.2 mi (2 km) around Little Haiti
Air quality now
AQI 33
22.9%
tree cover
22.1K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Chicago
1.2 mi (2 km) around Pilsen
Air quality now
AQI 113
8.2%
tree cover
82.9K more trees would reach 35% tree cover
Queens
1.2 mi (2 km) around South Ozone Park
Air quality now
AQI 32
12.4%
tree cover
55.3K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Houston
1.2 mi (2 km) around Downtown Houston
Air quality now
AQI 63
15.6%
tree cover
44.9K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Phoenix
1.2 mi (2 km) around Downtown Phoenix
Air quality now
AQI 67
2.5%
tree cover
86.4K more trees would reach 30% tree cover
Across the country
How clean is the air across the United States today?
1% of the 308 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 57% have Good air. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
308 measured cities
- Good176 (57%)
- Moderate129 (42%)
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups2 (1%)
- Unhealthy1 (0%)
Every measured city, including model estimates where no ground station is near.
In aggregate
United States in numbers
Every figure below is read the same way over the same 1.2 mi (2 km) area per city, so they add up and compare like for like. Averaged across the 308 of 308 cities measured so far in the United States.
- Average air quality
- AQI 45Mean of the latest reading per city
- Average tree cover
- 25.1%197 of 308 below their target
- Trees counted
- 23.3MAcross every measured area
- More trees needed
- 8.2MTo bring each area to its target
Worst air quality right now
Cleanest air right now
Greenest cities in the United States
Least tree cover in the United States
Excludes barren and desert sites
Against everywhere else
How does the United States compare with other countries?
Right now the cities of the United States average cleaner air than 64% of the 171 countries Airleaf has enough cities to average, and more tree cover than 52%.
Cleaner air than…
- United States
- Beats 64%
More tree cover than…
- United States
- Beats 52%
See the most polluted and cleanest air rankings for every country.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has the United States lost?
Since 2001, the United States has lost about 126 million acres (51 million hectares) of forest (about 510,000 km²): 18% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 9.87 million acres (4 million hectares) (7.8%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 126 million acres (51 million ha)about 510,000 km²
- Share of its forest
- 18%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 9.87 million acres (4 million ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Acres of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 439,000 acres (177,000 ha) | 4.36 million acres (1.76 million ha) | 4.8 million acres (1.94 million ha) |
| 2002 | 400,000 acres (162,000 ha) | 4.63 million acres (1.87 million ha) | 5.03 million acres (2.04 million ha) |
| 2003 | 352,000 acres (142,000 ha) | 3.72 million acres (1.51 million ha) | 4.07 million acres (1.65 million ha) |
| 2004 | 552,000 acres (223,000 ha) | 6.22 million acres (2.52 million ha) | 6.77 million acres (2.74 million ha) |
| 2005 | 574,000 acres (232,000 ha) | 6.06 million acres (2.45 million ha) | 6.64 million acres (2.69 million ha) |
| 2006 | 598,000 acres (242,000 ha) | 5.83 million acres (2.36 million ha) | 6.43 million acres (2.6 million ha) |
| 2007 | 584,000 acres (236,000 ha) | 5.42 million acres (2.19 million ha) | 6.01 million acres (2.43 million ha) |
| 2008 | 481,000 acres (195,000 ha) | 4.98 million acres (2.02 million ha) | 5.47 million acres (2.21 million ha) |
| 2009 | 366,000 acres (148,000 ha) | 3.61 million acres (1.46 million ha) | 3.97 million acres (1.61 million ha) |
| 2010 | 410,000 acres (166,000 ha) | 4.94 million acres (2 million ha) | 5.35 million acres (2.16 million ha) |
| 2011 | 384,000 acres (155,000 ha) | 3.72 million acres (1.51 million ha) | 4.11 million acres (1.66 million ha) |
| 2012 | 474,000 acres (192,000 ha) | 4.38 million acres (1.77 million ha) | 4.85 million acres (1.96 million ha) |
| 2013 | 295,000 acres (120,000 ha) | 4 million acres (1.62 million ha) | 4.29 million acres (1.74 million ha) |
| 2014 | 368,000 acres (149,000 ha) | 3.92 million acres (1.59 million ha) | 4.29 million acres (1.74 million ha) |
| 2015 | 325,000 acres (132,000 ha) | 5.33 million acres (2.16 million ha) | 5.65 million acres (2.29 million ha) |
| 2016 | 441,000 acres (179,000 ha) | 5.15 million acres (2.09 million ha) | 5.59 million acres (2.26 million ha) |
| 2017 | 460,000 acres (186,000 ha) | 5.24 million acres (2.12 million ha) | 5.7 million acres (2.31 million ha) |
| 2018 | 363,000 acres (147,000 ha) | 4.8 million acres (1.94 million ha) | 5.16 million acres (2.09 million ha) |
| 2019 | 322,000 acres (130,000 ha) | 4.89 million acres (1.98 million ha) | 5.21 million acres (2.11 million ha) |
| 2020 | 295,000 acres (119,000 ha) | 4.57 million acres (1.85 million ha) | 4.86 million acres (1.97 million ha) |
| 2021 | 282,000 acres (114,000 ha) | 4.77 million acres (1.93 million ha) | 5.06 million acres (2.05 million ha) |
| 2022 | 296,000 acres (120,000 ha) | 5.15 million acres (2.08 million ha) | 5.44 million acres (2.2 million ha) |
| 2023 | 270,000 acres (109,000 ha) | 3.14 million acres (1.27 million ha) | 3.41 million acres (1.38 million ha) |
| 2024 | 260,000 acres (105,000 ha) | 3.69 million acres (1.49 million ha) | 3.95 million acres (1.6 million ha) |
| 2025 | 283,000 acres (115,000 ha) | 3.61 million acres (1.46 million ha) | 3.89 million acres (1.57 million ha) |
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 4.35 million acres (1.76 million hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 5.31 million acres (2.15 million hectares) a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2004, when about 6.77 million acres (2.74 million hectares) of forest were lost.
What is causing deforestation in the United States?
- Loggingcan grow back62% · 77.8 million acres (31.5 million ha)
- Wildfirescan grow back28% · 34.9 million acres (14.1 million ha)
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good3.9% · 4.9 million acres (1.98 million ha)
Also: towns and roads, storms, floods and other natural causes, mining and energy, unknown causes.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
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. How it's measured
United States as a whole
33.8% of the United States was forested as of 2024, against a 30% benchmark. That already clears the benchmark — the city reports above show where cover is still thin locally. Source: World Bank (FAO).
Browse by state
Greenest US cities ranking- Alabama5 cities
- AlaskaAnchorage
- Arizona9 cities
- ArkansasLittle Rock
- California65 cities
- Colorado11 cities
- Connecticut6 cities
- District of ColumbiaWashington
- Florida20 cities
- Georgia6 cities
- HawaiiHonolulu
- IdahoBoise
- Illinois8 cities
- Indiana4 cities
- Iowa3 cities
- Kansas4 cities
- Kentucky3 cities
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- MarylandBaltimore
- Massachusetts5 cities
- Michigan7 cities
- Minnesota3 cities
- MississippiJackson
- Missouri5 cities
- MontanaBillings
- Nebraska2 cities
- Nevada6 cities
- New HampshireManchester
- New Jersey4 cities
- New Mexico2 cities
- New York12 cities
- North Carolina9 cities
- North DakotaFargo
- Ohio6 cities
- Oklahoma4 cities
- Oregon5 cities
- Pennsylvania4 cities
- Rhode IslandProvidence
- South Carolina3 cities
- South DakotaSioux Falls
- Tennessee6 cities
- Texas40 cities
- Utah4 cities
- Virginia7 cities
- Washington9 cities
- Wisconsin4 cities
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- South Fulton
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Clean-air buying guides
Cleaner air at home in the United States
Picked by tested clean-air delivery rate (CADR), noise and running cost, from independent test labels. No brand pays to be listed.
- The best air purifiers for wildfire smoke and smog
Air purifiers that keep up with wildfire smoke and winter smog, ranked by verified smoke CADR, with the room each one clears on a smoky day.
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Good HEPA air purifiers under $200 at the makers' own prices, compared on verified clean air, room size and what the filters cost each year.
- NIOSH-approved N95 masks for smoke and smog
NIOSH-approved N95 masks and P100 respirators for smog and smoke, and how to get the fit right. Cloth and surgical masks do little against PM2.5.
Frequently asked
Air quality in the United States: your questions answered
What is the air quality in the United States today?
Right now the 308 cities Airleaf measures in the United States average AQI 45 (good). The worst air is in Montgomery, at AQI 152, and the cleanest in Las Cruces, at AQI 1. At ground stations alone, which measure rather than estimate, the average is AQI 46 across 285 cities. 1% of the 308 measured cities are over AQI 100 today, where the air stops being fine for sensitive groups, and 57% have Good air.
Which city in the United States has the worst air right now?
Montgomery, at AQI 152 (Unhealthy) on the US EPA index. Everyone should limit long outdoor exertion; sensitive groups more so.
Which city in the United States has the cleanest air right now?
Las Cruces, at AQI 1 (Good). Both lists rank current readings, from ground stations wherever the United States has at least three cities with one.
Is the air in the United States safe to breathe today?
It depends on the city. 176 cities are Good, 129 cities are Moderate, 2 cities are Unhealthy for sensitive groups, 1 city is Unhealthy. At the national average of AQI 45: Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
How much forest has the United States lost since 2001?
About 126 million acres (51 million ha) from 2001 to 2025, 18% of the forest it had in 2000, from the University of Maryland's yearly satellite maps of forest loss. 9.87 million acres (4 million ha) of it was cleared for good, for farms, mines or towns.
Which city in the United States has the most trees?
South Fulton, with 71.7% tree cover within 1.2 mi (2 km) of its center, measured from Sentinel-2 satellite images.
How does Airleaf measure air quality in the United States?
Each city's reading is the US EPA air quality index, from ground monitoring stations where one has reported recently nearby, and from the CAMS atmospheric model elsewhere; each city's report says which. Tree cover is measured over the same 1.2 mi (2 km) radius in every city, so the cities compare like for like.
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