City report · Missouri, United States
Independence Air quality today
Air quality in Independence currently reads AQI 21 (Good): Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
Air quality right now
AQI 21
Good
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 2.8
- tree cover
- 56.4%
- trees in this area
- 177K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Independence, MO, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Sep 2, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Independence · AQI 21 (Good)
Independence's tree count comes to 177,186 trees across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²), already at or above the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Independence today: AQI 21, Good
Main pollutant: PM10 · Observed Nov 11, 09:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Troost, 8.4 mi (13.5 km) away · median of 5 stations
Health signal
Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
PM2.5
2.8
PM10
23.0
NO₂
5.6
O₃
39.3
SO₂
2.9
CO
114.6
Data: OpenAQ · AirNow
- Outdoor exercise
- A good day to be active outside
- Windows
- Open them to air the house
- Mask
- Not needed
- Air purifier
- Not needed
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Independence's daily AQI at 37 on average, from 12 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 109 on Nov 9.
Where Independence stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Independence: Healthy tree cover
56.4% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²).
Trees in this area
177,186
Target trees
177,186
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Independence lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Independence has lost about 882 acres (357 hectares) of forest (about 670 football fields): 5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (95%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 6 km west of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 882 acres (357 ha)about 670 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 5%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 838 acres (339 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2001, when about 106 acres (43 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 | 105 acres (43 ha) | under 1 ha | 106 acres (43 ha) |
| 2002 | 54 acres (22 ha) | under 1 ha | 56 acres (23 ha) |
| 2003 | 37 acres (15 ha) | under 1 ha | 38 acres (16 ha) |
| 2004 | 63 acres (26 ha) | 7 acres (3 ha) | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| 2005 | 86 acres (35 ha) | 3 acres (1 ha) | 89 acres (36 ha) |
| 2006 | 27 acres (11 ha) | 5 acres (2 ha) | 32 acres (13 ha) |
| 2007 | 37 acres (15 ha) | under 1 ha | 38 acres (15 ha) |
| 2008 | 34 acres (14 ha) | under 1 ha | 37 acres (15 ha) |
| 2009 | 7 acres (3 ha) | under 1 ha | 8 acres (3 ha) |
| 2010 | 21 acres (9 ha) | under 1 ha | 21 acres (9 ha) |
| 2011 | 23 acres (9 ha) | under 1 ha | 24 acres (10 ha) |
| 2012 | 24 acres (10 ha) | under 1 ha | 25 acres (10 ha) |
| 2013 | 22 acres (9 ha) | 9 acres (4 ha) | 31 acres (13 ha) |
| 2014 | 68 acres (27 ha) | 6 acres (3 ha) | 74 acres (30 ha) |
| 2015 | 6 acres (3 ha) | under 1 ha | 7 acres (3 ha) |
| 2016 | 40 acres (16 ha) | under 1 ha | 41 acres (17 ha) |
| 2017 | 37 acres (15 ha) | under 1 ha | 38 acres (15 ha) |
| 2018 | 4 acres (2 ha) | under 1 ha | 4 acres (2 ha) |
| 2019 | 5 acres (2 ha) | under 1 ha | 5 acres (2 ha) |
| 2020 | 14 acres (6 ha) | under 1 ha | 14 acres (6 ha) |
| 2021 | 10 acres (4 ha) | under 1 ha | 10 acres (4 ha) |
| 2022 | 3 acres (1 ha) | under 1 ha | 3 acres (1 ha) |
| 2023 | 13 acres (5 ha) | under 1 ha | 13 acres (5 ha) |
| 2024 | 31 acres (13 ha) | under 1 ha | 32 acres (13 ha) |
| 2025 | 67 acres (27 ha) | 2 acres (1 ha) | 69 acres (28 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Independence?
- Towns and roadscleared for good88% · 778 acres (315 ha)
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good6.3% · 55 acres (22 ha)
- Unknown causescause unknown4.4% · 39 acres (16 ha)
Also: logging, mining and energy.
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
- 29,100 acres (11,800 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 30,500 acres (12,300 ha)
- Overall change
- +1,380 acres (557 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Independence grew from about 29,100 acres (11,800 hectares) to 30,500 acres (12,300 hectares), a net gain of about 1,380 acres (557 hectares) (+4.7%). New forest grew on about 2,100 acres (850 hectares), while 724 acres (293 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 Independence
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Kansas City14.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 14%
- Air quality
- 21
- Overland Park25.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 70%
- Air quality
- 13
- Olathe42.0 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 48%
- Air quality
- 26
- Topeka109.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 34%
- Air quality
- 8
- Columbia180.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 42%
- Air quality
- 58
- Springfield230.3 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 28%
- Air quality
- 17
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Frequently asked
Questions about Independence
What is the air quality (AQI) in Independence right now?
The latest reading for Independence shows an AQI of 21 (Good), measured Nov 11, 09:00 local time by 5 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is Troost, 8.4 mi (13.5 km) away). The main pollutant is PM10. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Independence today?
At AQI 21 (Good): a good day to be active outside. Windows: open them to air the house. Masks: not needed. The reading changes through the day, so check again before a long run or ride.
What has the air quality in Independence been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Independence's daily AQI at 37 on average, from 12 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 109 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 Independence lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Independence has lost about 882 acres (357 hectares) of forest (about 670 football fields): 5% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (95%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Independence grew from about 29,100 acres (11,800 hectares) to 30,500 acres (12,300 hectares), a net gain of about 1,380 acres (557 hectares) (+4.7%). New forest grew on about 2,100 acres (850 hectares), while 724 acres (293 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Independence?
Independence has an estimated 177,186 trees across the 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²) measured — 56.4% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Independence need?
Independence has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Independence's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Independence, 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 Independence; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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