New York Air quality today

Where does New York's air pollution come from?

One key pollutant is PM2.5: tiny particles less than 2.5 microns across, small enough to get deep into the lungs and the bloodstream ^[1]. In New York City, common sources include fuel burned in vehicles, building boilers, power plants, construction equipment, ships and commercial cooking ^[1].

Not all of it is local. The city health department says 20% to 30% of the PM2.5 in the city's air comes from upwind areas, such as coal-burning power plants in the Midwest ^[1]. Nitrogen dioxide, a gas from burning fuel, comes from motor vehicles, buildings, ships and construction equipment ^[1].

Which neighborhoods have the dirtiest air?

Pollution is higher in places with many warehouses and truck traffic, many restaurant grills and charbroilers, and dense traffic and buildings ^[1]. The health department names warehouse areas such as Newtown Creek in Queens and Brooklyn, the area near JFK airport, Red Hook and Sunset Park in Brooklyn, and Hunts Point in the Bronx ^[1].

Ozone works the other way. The city's monitors find more ozone in places with less traffic, such as outer Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and less of it near busy roads and in midtown Manhattan ^[1].

Why is summer ozone a problem?

Ground-level ozone is the main ingredient in smog. It is not released directly; it forms when pollution from cars, power plants and industry reacts in sunlight ^[5]. It is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot, sunny days in cities ^[5], and the city health department says ozone levels are higher in summer ^[1].

In the American Lung Association's 2026 State of the Air report, based on 2022 to 2024 data, the New York metro area ranked 12th worst in the US for ozone, with an F grade ^[4]. Its worst county, Fairfield County in Connecticut, averaged 21.2 unhealthy ozone days a year, worse than the 16th worst ranking in the 2025 report ^[4].

What happened during the June 2023 wildfire smoke?

In the first week of June 2023, smoke from fires in Quebec poured south into the eastern US ^[2]. Winds usually carry that smoke out to sea, but in June 2023 a persistent coastal low pressure system near Prince Edward Island steered it south ^[2]. On June 6, the air quality index for PM2.5 in New York City passed 175, beating the previous record of 167 set in 2002 ^[2].

The city's Public Advocate reported that on June 7, 2023, the daily average PM2.5 level reached a record 117 micrograms per cubic meter, over eight times the WHO standard it cites, and the air quality index reached a record 484 ^[3]. The same report counted 175 asthma emergency room visits in the city on June 6 and 317 on June 7 ^[3].

Is New York's air getting better?

Yes, for most pollutants. The city's street-level monitoring program, run with Queens College since December 2008, found that average PM2.5 fell 36% and nitrogen dioxide fell 41% between 2009 and 2024 ^[1]. Air quality improved a lot after rules required buildings to switch to cleaner heating oil by 2015 ^[1].

In the 2026 State of the Air report, the New York metro area posted its best result yet for year-round particle pollution, earning a passing grade ^[4]. Ozone has shown no consistent trend in city monitoring, and the health department says it may trend higher as average temperatures rise with climate change ^[1].

The city's sustainability plan, PlaNYC, aims to cut emissions from restaurant charbroiling, get the most polluting trucks off the streets and speed up the phase-out of fossil fuel burning in buildings ^[1].

How to protect yourself in New York

Check the daily air quality forecast before you plan your day; EPA points people to AirNow for ozone and other daily readings ^[5]. On smoky days, avoid hard exercise outdoors, such as running, and wait until the air improves before being active outside ^[6].

When wildfire smoke arrives, the US EPA advises staying inside with doors and windows closed, setting air conditioning to recirculate, and using a portable air cleaner sized for the room that makes little or no ozone ^[6]. Set up one cleaner air room for the household, and avoid adding indoor pollution from candles, incense, gas or wood-burning stoves, smoking, vaping or high heat cooking ^[6].

If you must go outside in heavy smoke, the EPA says a well fitted N95 respirator reduces your exposure to fine particles, and it advises not to rely on dust masks or bandanas ^[6]. If you have heart or lung disease, follow your health care provider's advice, and if you have asthma, follow your asthma management plan ^[6].