City report · Louisiana, United States
Lafayette Air quality today
Air quality in Lafayette currently reads AQI 66 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 66
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 17.3
- tree cover
- 42.6%
- trees in this area
- 134K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Downtown Lafayette, Lafayette, LA, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Aug 22, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Lafayette · AQI 66 (Moderate)
Lafayette's tree count comes to 133,832 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 Lafayette today: AQI 66, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 09:00 local time via OpenAQ and World Air Quality Index Project ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Lafayette USGS site, Louisiana, USA, 1.9 mi (3.1 km) away · median of 2 stations
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
17.3
PM10
22.7
NO₂
—
O₃
62.8
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirNow, World Air Quality Index Project, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Air Now - US EPA
- 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 Lafayette's daily AQI at 35 on average, from 20 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 71 on Nov 9.
Where Lafayette stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Lafayette: Healthy tree cover
42.6% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²).
Trees in this area
133,832
Target trees
133,832
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Lafayette lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Lafayette has lost about 2,670 acres (1,080 hectares) of forest (about 2,000 football fields): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (84%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km west of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 2,670 acres (1,080 ha)about 2,000 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 12%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 2,230 acres (903 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2014, when about 299 acres (121 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 | 121 acres (49 ha) | 5 acres (2 ha) | 126 acres (51 ha) |
| 2002 | 79 acres (32 ha) | 10 acres (4 ha) | 88 acres (36 ha) |
| 2003 | 85 acres (35 ha) | 4 acres (2 ha) | 90 acres (36 ha) |
| 2004 | 64 acres (26 ha) | under 1 ha | 65 acres (26 ha) |
| 2005 | 141 acres (57 ha) | 12 acres (5 ha) | 153 acres (62 ha) |
| 2006 | 156 acres (63 ha) | 27 acres (11 ha) | 183 acres (74 ha) |
| 2007 | 166 acres (67 ha) | 26 acres (10 ha) | 191 acres (77 ha) |
| 2008 | 72 acres (29 ha) | 15 acres (6 ha) | 87 acres (35 ha) |
| 2009 | 66 acres (27 ha) | 9 acres (4 ha) | 75 acres (30 ha) |
| 2010 | 66 acres (27 ha) | 11 acres (5 ha) | 77 acres (31 ha) |
| 2011 | 100 acres (41 ha) | 4 acres (2 ha) | 104 acres (42 ha) |
| 2012 | 123 acres (50 ha) | 59 acres (24 ha) | 182 acres (74 ha) |
| 2013 | 110 acres (44 ha) | 53 acres (21 ha) | 162 acres (66 ha) |
| 2014 | 206 acres (83 ha) | 93 acres (38 ha) | 299 acres (121 ha) |
| 2015 | 87 acres (35 ha) | 4 acres (2 ha) | 90 acres (37 ha) |
| 2016 | 50 acres (20 ha) | 56 acres (23 ha) | 106 acres (43 ha) |
| 2017 | 48 acres (19 ha) | under 1 ha | 48 acres (20 ha) |
| 2018 | 90 acres (37 ha) | 18 acres (7 ha) | 108 acres (44 ha) |
| 2019 | 46 acres (18 ha) | under 1 ha | 46 acres (19 ha) |
| 2020 | 27 acres (11 ha) | under 1 ha | 28 acres (11 ha) |
| 2021 | 26 acres (11 ha) | under 1 ha | 27 acres (11 ha) |
| 2022 | 74 acres (30 ha) | 11 acres (4 ha) | 85 acres (34 ha) |
| 2023 | 110 acres (44 ha) | under 1 ha | 110 acres (45 ha) |
| 2024 | 67 acres (27 ha) | 3 acres (1 ha) | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| 2025 | 54 acres (22 ha) | 12 acres (5 ha) | 66 acres (27 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Lafayette?
- Towns and roadscleared for good72% · 1,930 acres (782 ha)
- Loggingcan grow back14% · 385 acres (156 ha)
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good11% · 299 acres (121 ha)
Also: storms, floods and other natural causes, 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
- 31,500 acres (12,800 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 32,400 acres (13,100 ha)
- Overall change
- +922 acres (373 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Lafayette grew from about 31,500 acres (12,800 hectares) to 32,400 acres (13,100 hectares), a net gain of about 922 acres (373 hectares) (+2.9%). New forest grew on about 2,170 acres (878 hectares), while 1,250 acres (505 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 Lafayette
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Baton Rouge83.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 35%
- Air quality
- 85
- Metairie Terrace180.6 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 26%
- Air quality
- 91
- New Orleans189.5 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 10%
- Air quality
- 91
- Beaumont200.8 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 37%
- Air quality
- 71
- Jackson289.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 35%
- Air quality
- 66
- Shreveport304.0 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 31%
- Air quality
- 99
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Frequently asked
Questions about Lafayette
What is the air quality (AQI) in Lafayette right now?
The latest reading for Lafayette shows an AQI of 66 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 09:00 local time by 2 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is Lafayette USGS site, Louisiana, USA, 1.9 mi (3.1 km) away). The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Lafayette today?
At AQI 66 (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 Lafayette been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Lafayette's daily AQI at 35 on average, from 20 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 71 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 Lafayette lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Lafayette has lost about 2,670 acres (1,080 hectares) of forest (about 2,000 football fields): 12% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (84%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Lafayette grew from about 31,500 acres (12,800 hectares) to 32,400 acres (13,100 hectares), a net gain of about 922 acres (373 hectares) (+2.9%). New forest grew on about 2,170 acres (878 hectares), while 1,250 acres (505 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Lafayette?
Lafayette has an estimated 133,832 trees across the 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²) measured — 42.6% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Lafayette need?
Lafayette has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Lafayette's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Downtown Lafayette, 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 Lafayette; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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