City report · Florida, United States
Gainesville Air quality today
Air quality in Gainesville currently reads AQI 68 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 68
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 18.2
- tree cover
- 59.5%
- trees in this area
- 187K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Gainesville, FL, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Oct 21, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Gainesville · AQI 68 (Moderate)
Gainesville's tree count comes to 186,738 trees across 4.8 sq mi (12.56 km²) of land, already at or above the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Gainesville today: AQI 68, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 10:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Gainesville, 0.8 mi (1.3 km) away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
18.2
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirGradient, Daniel Agar
- 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 Gainesville's daily AQI at 41 on average, from 33 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 69 on Nov 8.
Where Gainesville stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Gainesville: Healthy tree cover
59.5% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.8 sq mi (12.56 km²) of land.
Trees in this area
186,738
Target trees
186,738
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Gainesville lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Gainesville has lost about 8,890 acres (3,600 hectares) of forest (about 6,700 football fields): 18% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,100 acres (1,260 hectares) (35%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
2017: satellite photo from May 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km south of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 8,890 acres (3,600 ha)about 6,700 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 18%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 3,100 acres (1,260 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 354 acres (143 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 425 acres (172 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2025, when about 875 acres (354 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 | 301 acres (122 ha) | 487 acres (197 ha) | 788 acres (319 ha) |
| 2002 | 160 acres (65 ha) | 468 acres (189 ha) | 628 acres (254 ha) |
| 2003 | 115 acres (47 ha) | 169 acres (69 ha) | 284 acres (115 ha) |
| 2004 | 107 acres (43 ha) | 175 acres (71 ha) | 282 acres (114 ha) |
| 2005 | 173 acres (70 ha) | 363 acres (147 ha) | 536 acres (217 ha) |
| 2006 | 193 acres (78 ha) | 185 acres (75 ha) | 378 acres (153 ha) |
| 2007 | 148 acres (60 ha) | 95 acres (39 ha) | 243 acres (98 ha) |
| 2008 | 93 acres (38 ha) | 86 acres (35 ha) | 178 acres (72 ha) |
| 2009 | 55 acres (22 ha) | 212 acres (86 ha) | 267 acres (108 ha) |
| 2010 | 103 acres (42 ha) | 53 acres (22 ha) | 157 acres (63 ha) |
| 2011 | 26 acres (11 ha) | 219 acres (89 ha) | 245 acres (99 ha) |
| 2012 | 93 acres (38 ha) | 164 acres (66 ha) | 257 acres (104 ha) |
| 2013 | 91 acres (37 ha) | 189 acres (76 ha) | 279 acres (113 ha) |
| 2014 | 219 acres (89 ha) | 53 acres (21 ha) | 272 acres (110 ha) |
| 2015 | 133 acres (54 ha) | 71 acres (29 ha) | 204 acres (83 ha) |
| 2016 | 226 acres (92 ha) | 631 acres (255 ha) | 857 acres (347 ha) |
| 2017 | 59 acres (24 ha) | 112 acres (45 ha) | 171 acres (69 ha) |
| 2018 | 63 acres (26 ha) | 134 acres (54 ha) | 197 acres (80 ha) |
| 2019 | 78 acres (32 ha) | 270 acres (109 ha) | 348 acres (141 ha) |
| 2020 | 124 acres (50 ha) | 427 acres (173 ha) | 551 acres (223 ha) |
| 2021 | 106 acres (43 ha) | 226 acres (91 ha) | 331 acres (134 ha) |
| 2022 | 154 acres (62 ha) | 116 acres (47 ha) | 269 acres (109 ha) |
| 2023 | 77 acres (31 ha) | 107 acres (43 ha) | 184 acres (75 ha) |
| 2024 | 94 acres (38 ha) | 19 acres (8 ha) | 113 acres (46 ha) |
| 2025 | 113 acres (46 ha) | 762 acres (308 ha) | 875 acres (354 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Gainesville?
- Loggingcan grow back52% · 4,640 acres (1,880 ha)
- Towns and roadscleared for good31% · 2,800 acres (1,130 ha)
- Storms, floods and other natural causescan grow back13% · 1,120 acres (453 ha)
Also: farms, pasture and plantations, wildfires, 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
- 50,700 acres (20,500 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 51,900 acres (21,000 ha)
- Overall change
- +1,230 acres (497 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Gainesville grew from about 50,700 acres (20,500 hectares) to 51,900 acres (21,000 hectares), a net gain of about 1,230 acres (497 hectares) (+2.4%). New forest grew on about 3,640 acres (1,480 hectares), while 2,420 acres (978 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 Gainesville
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Jacksonville99.4 km
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- Air quality
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- Spring Hill132.1 km
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- Air quality
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- Orlando154.2 km
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- 35%
- Air quality
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- Lakeland182.9 km
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- Tree cover
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- Air quality
- 46
- Tampa189.9 km
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- Tree cover
- 19%
- Air quality
- 68
- Brandon190.6 km
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- Tree cover
- 60%
- Air quality
- 58
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Frequently asked
Questions about Gainesville
What is the air quality (AQI) in Gainesville right now?
The latest reading for Gainesville shows an AQI of 68 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 10:00 local time by the Gainesville ground monitoring station, 0.8 mi (1.3 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 Gainesville today?
At AQI 68 (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 Gainesville been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Gainesville's daily AQI at 41 on average, from 33 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 69 on Nov 8. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Gainesville lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Gainesville has lost about 8,890 acres (3,600 hectares) of forest (about 6,700 football fields): 18% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 3,100 acres (1,260 hectares) (35%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 354 acres (143 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 425 acres (172 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Gainesville grew from about 50,700 acres (20,500 hectares) to 51,900 acres (21,000 hectares), a net gain of about 1,230 acres (497 hectares) (+2.4%). New forest grew on about 3,640 acres (1,480 hectares), while 2,420 acres (978 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Gainesville?
Gainesville has an estimated 186,738 trees across the 4.8 sq mi (12.56 km²) of land measured — 59.5% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Gainesville need?
Gainesville has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Gainesville's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Gainesville, 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 Gainesville; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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