City report · England, United Kingdom
Exeter Air quality today
Air quality in Exeter currently reads AQI 80 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 80
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 24.8
- tree cover
- 24.4%
- trees in this area
- 76.5K
- more trees needed
- 17.6K
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Exeter, UK (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Sep 5, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Exeter · AQI 80 (Moderate)
Exeter's tree count comes to 76,502 trees across 4.8 sq mi (12.54 km²) of land, 6 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 17,558 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Exeter today: AQI 80, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 16:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Exeter, 1.2 mi (2 km) away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
24.8
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirGradient
- 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 Exeter's daily AQI at 61 on average, from 42 on Nov 4 to an hourly peak of 73 on Nov 6.
This is the US EPA AQI. How it differs from the UK's Daily Air Quality Index
Where Exeter stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Exeter: Below target
24.4% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.8 sq mi (12.54 km²) of land.
Trees in this area
76,502
Target trees
94,060
More trees needed
17,558
CO₂ if planted / yr
386.3 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Exeter lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Exeter has lost about 182 hectares of forest (about 250 football pitches): 4.6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 4 hectares (2.1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
2018: satellite photo from August 2018 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 182 haabout 250 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 4.6%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 4 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2016, when about 20 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 ha | 18 ha | 19 ha |
| 2002 | 2 ha | 3 ha | 5 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 | 16 ha | 16 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 2 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | 16 ha | 16 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | 11 ha | 11 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | 4 ha | 4 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | under 1 ha | 18 ha | 19 ha |
| 2013 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 2 ha |
| 2014 | under 1 ha | 17 ha | 17 ha |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | 16 ha | 16 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | 20 ha | 20 ha |
| 2017 | under 1 ha | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2018 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 2 ha |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | 7 ha | 7 ha |
| 2020 | under 1 ha | 4 ha | 4 ha |
| 2021 | under 1 ha | 8 ha | 8 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2023 | under 1 ha | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2024 | under 1 ha | 4 ha | 4 ha |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Exeter?
- Loggingcan grow back93% · 169 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good2% · 4 ha
- Unknown causescause unknown4.9% · 9 ha
Also: towns and roads.
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
- 4,140 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 4,260 ha
- Overall change
- +123 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Exeter grew from about 4,140 hectares to 4,260 hectares, a net gain of about 123 hectares (+3%). New forest grew on about 275 hectares, while 152 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 Exeter
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Plymouth58.5 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 18%
- Air quality
- 25
- Cardiff87.5 km
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- 17%
- Air quality
- 46
- Newport102.9 km
United Kingdom
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- 23%
- Air quality
- 60
- Swansea103.9 km
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- Tree cover
- 26%
- Air quality
- 37
- Bristol104.1 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 26%
- Air quality
- 23
- Bath109.0 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 49%
- Air quality
- 23
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Frequently asked
Questions about Exeter
What is the air quality (AQI) in Exeter right now?
The latest reading for Exeter shows an AQI of 80 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 16:00 local time by the Exeter ground monitoring station, 1.2 mi (2 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 Exeter today?
At AQI 80 (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 Exeter been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Exeter's daily AQI at 61 on average, from 42 on Nov 4 to an hourly peak of 73 on Nov 6. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Is Exeter's AQI the same as the UK's Daily Air Quality Index?
No. Airleaf shows the US EPA Air Quality Index (AQI), the scale used by IQAir and most air-quality apps. The UK's Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI), published by Defra, runs from 1 to 10: 1–3 low, 4–6 moderate, 7–9 high and 10 very high. It is a different scale altogether, so a US AQI figure can't be read on it directly; both, though, are built from the same main pollutants, with fine particles (PM2.5) usually the one that decides the reading.
How much forest has the area around Exeter lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Exeter has lost about 182 hectares of forest (about 250 football pitches): 4.6% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 4 hectares (2.1%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Exeter grew from about 4,140 hectares to 4,260 hectares, a net gain of about 123 hectares (+3%). New forest grew on about 275 hectares, while 152 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in Exeter?
Exeter has an estimated 76,502 trees across the 4.8 sq mi (12.54 km²) of land measured — 24.4% tree cover, 6 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Exeter need?
Exeter needs roughly 17,558 more trees to close a 6-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 386.3 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are Exeter's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Exeter, 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 Exeter; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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