City report · Michigan, United States
Detroit Air quality today
Air quality in Detroit currently reads AQI 91 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 91
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 20.8
- tree cover
- 11.0%
- trees in this area
- 26.4K
- more trees needed
- 45.7K
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Downtown Detroit, Detroit, MI, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Aug 28, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Detroit · AQI 91 (Moderate)
Detroit's tree count comes to 26,437 trees across 3.7 sq mi (9.62 km²) of land, 19 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 45,663 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Detroit today: AQI 91, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM10 · Observed Nov 11, 10:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Detroit-DP4th, 2.7 mi (4.4 km) away · median of 7 stations
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
20.8
PM10
136.5
NO₂
66.5
O₃
2.9
SO₂
2.6
CO
0.0
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 Detroit's daily AQI at 29 on average, from 18 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 65 on Nov 9.
Where Detroit stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Detroit: Critically low
11.0% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 3.7 sq mi (9.62 km²) of land.
Trees in this area
26,437
Target trees
72,100
More trees needed
45,663
CO₂ if planted / yr
1,005 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Detroit lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Detroit has lost about 83 acres (33 hectares) of forest (about 62 football fields): 2.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (79%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 83 acres (33 ha)about 62 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 2.7%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 65 acres (26 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2012, when about 18 acres (7 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 | 8 acres (3 ha) | 7 acres (3 ha) | 15 acres (6 ha) |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | 3 acres (1 ha) |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | 16 acres (7 ha) | under 1 ha | 18 acres (7 ha) |
| 2013 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2014 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2017 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2018 | 6 acres (3 ha) | under 1 ha | 6 acres (3 ha) |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2020 | 14 acres (6 ha) | under 1 ha | 14 acres (6 ha) |
| 2021 | 4 acres (2 ha) | under 1 ha | 4 acres (2 ha) |
| 2022 | 4 acres (2 ha) | under 1 ha | 5 acres (2 ha) |
| 2023 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2024 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Detroit?
- Towns and roadscleared for good66% · 55 acres (22 ha)
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good12% · 10 acres (4 ha)
- Unknown causescause unknown21% · 18 acres (7 ha)
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
- 22,400 acres (9,080 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 23,700 acres (9,570 ha)
- Overall change
- +1,230 acres (498 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Detroit grew from about 22,400 acres (9,080 hectares) to 23,700 acres (9,570 hectares), a net gain of about 1,230 acres (498 hectares) (+5.5%). New forest grew on about 1,340 acres (544 hectares), while 114 acres (46 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 Detroit
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Warren17.9 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 25%
- Air quality
- 58
- Sterling Heights27.7 km
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- Tree cover
- 18%
- Air quality
- 51
- Clinton Township30.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 43%
- Air quality
- 51
- Ann Arbor57.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 55%
- Air quality
- 43
- Toledo85.3 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 35%
- Air quality
- 61
- Lansing131.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 33%
- Air quality
- 53
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Frequently asked
Questions about Detroit
What is the air quality (AQI) in Detroit right now?
The latest reading for Detroit shows an AQI of 91 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 10:00 local time by 7 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is Detroit-DP4th, 2.7 mi (4.4 km) away). The main pollutant is PM10. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Detroit today?
At AQI 91 (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 Detroit been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Detroit's daily AQI at 29 on average, from 18 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 65 on Nov 9. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Detroit lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Detroit has lost about 83 acres (33 hectares) of forest (about 62 football fields): 2.7% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (79%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Detroit grew from about 22,400 acres (9,080 hectares) to 23,700 acres (9,570 hectares), a net gain of about 1,230 acres (498 hectares) (+5.5%). New forest grew on about 1,340 acres (544 hectares), while 114 acres (46 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Detroit?
Detroit has an estimated 26,437 trees across the 3.7 sq mi (9.62 km²) of land measured — 11.0% tree cover, 19 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Detroit need?
Detroit needs roughly 45,663 more trees to close a 19-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 1,005 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Detroit's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Downtown Detroit, 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 Downtown Detroit; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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