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City report · North Carolina, United States

Raleigh Air quality today

Air quality in Raleigh currently reads AQI 47 (Good): Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.

Air quality right now

AQI 47

Good

Main pollutant: PM2.5
PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
8.5
tree cover
40.8%
trees in this area
128K
more trees needed
0

Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Downtown, Raleigh, NC, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Sep 14, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.

Raleigh · AQI 47 (Good)

Dark green marks tree cover detected inside the study radius.Sentinel-2 L2A (ESA Copernicus) via Earth Search, captured Sep 14, 2026

Raleigh's tree count comes to 128,177 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 Raleigh today: AQI 47, Good

Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 10:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.

Ground station · 1200 block of Garner Road, 0.6 mi (1 km) away · median of 3 stations

Health signal

Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.

PM2.5

8.5

PM10

—

NO₂

—

O₃

—

SO₂

—

CO

—

Data: OpenAQ · AirGradient, G Fire, MRad

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 Raleigh's daily AQI at 35 on average, from 24 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 61 on Nov 9.

Last 7 days · model estimateavg 35 · peak 61
Nov 4: AQI 39 (peak 52)Nov 5: AQI 35 (peak 46)Nov 6: AQI 24 (peak 58)Nov 7: AQI 33 (peak 57)Nov 8: AQI 39 (peak 49)Nov 9: AQI 31 (peak 61)Nov 10: AQI 42 (peak 56)
Nov 4Nov 10

Where Raleigh stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest

Tree cover detail

Tree cover in Raleigh: Healthy tree cover

40.8% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²).

Target reached

Trees in this area

128,177

Target trees

128,177

More trees needed

0

CO₂ if planted / yr

0 kg

Deforestation · 2001–2025

How much forest has Raleigh lost?

Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Raleigh has lost about 6,970 acres (2,820 hectares) of forest (about 5,300 football fields): 19% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (96%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.

Satellite image of the area around Raleigh, September 2017

2017: satellite photo from September 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km southeast of the city center.

Forest lost since 2001
6,970 acres (2,820 ha)about 5,300 football fields
Share of its forest
19%of what there was in 2000
Cleared for good
6,710 acres (2,710 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns

Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 282 acres (114 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 278 acres (113 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2006, when about 519 acres (210 hectares) of forest were lost.

Forest lost each year around Raleigh, 2001–2025

Acres of forest lost each year

Forest lost each year around Raleigh, 2001–2025. Use the left and right arrow keys to read each year.519

Show the figures as a table
Forest lost each year around Raleigh, 2001–2025
YearCleared for goodCan grow backTotal
2001403 acres (163 ha)37 acres (15 ha)440 acres (178 ha)
2002373 acres (151 ha)15 acres (6 ha)388 acres (157 ha)
2003311 acres (126 ha)under 1 ha311 acres (126 ha)
2004304 acres (123 ha)7 acres (3 ha)311 acres (126 ha)
2005425 acres (172 ha)5 acres (2 ha)430 acres (174 ha)
2006514 acres (208 ha)5 acres (2 ha)519 acres (210 ha)
2007460 acres (186 ha)2 acres (1 ha)462 acres (187 ha)
2008218 acres (88 ha)under 1 ha219 acres (89 ha)
200978 acres (31 ha)under 1 ha78 acres (32 ha)
2010119 acres (48 ha)under 1 ha121 acres (49 ha)
2011140 acres (57 ha)105 acres (42 ha)245 acres (99 ha)
2012136 acres (55 ha)under 1 ha136 acres (55 ha)
2013125 acres (51 ha)under 1 ha127 acres (51 ha)
2014149 acres (60 ha)under 1 ha150 acres (61 ha)
2015227 acres (92 ha)under 1 ha227 acres (92 ha)
2016222 acres (90 ha)under 1 ha223 acres (90 ha)
2017383 acres (155 ha)17 acres (7 ha)400 acres (162 ha)
2018217 acres (88 ha)49 acres (20 ha)267 acres (108 ha)
2019227 acres (92 ha)under 1 ha227 acres (92 ha)
2020274 acres (111 ha)under 1 ha274 acres (111 ha)
2021393 acres (159 ha)under 1 ha393 acres (159 ha)
2022450 acres (182 ha)7 acres (3 ha)457 acres (185 ha)
2023175 acres (71 ha)under 1 ha175 acres (71 ha)
2024212 acres (86 ha)under 1 ha212 acres (86 ha)
2025171 acres (69 ha)under 1 ha172 acres (70 ha)

What is causing deforestation around Raleigh?

  • Towns and roadscleared for good94% · 6,570 acres (2,660 ha)
  • Loggingcan grow back3.6% · 252 acres (102 ha)
  • Mining and energycleared for good1% · 71 acres (29 ha)

Also: farms, pasture and plantations, 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
49,600 acres (20,100 ha)
Forest in 2020
48,600 acres (19,700 ha)
Overall change
−1,060 acres (427 ha)less forest than in 2000

Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Raleigh shrank from about 49,600 acres (20,100 hectares) to 48,600 acres (19,700 hectares), a net loss of about 1,060 acres (427 hectares) (−2.1%). New forest grew on about 2,650 acres (1,070 hectares), but 3,700 acres (1,500 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 Raleigh

Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.

  • Cary

    United States

    13.0 km
    Tree cover
    70%
    Air quality
    22
  • Durham

    United States

    34.0 km
    Tree cover
    49%
    Air quality
    26
  • Fayetteville

    United States

    82.9 km
    Tree cover
    43%
    Air quality
    18
  • Greensboro

    United States

    109.1 km
    Tree cover
    42%
    Air quality
    18
  • High Point

    United States

    124.8 km
    Tree cover
    42%
    Air quality
    18
  • Winston-Salem

    United States

    149.1 km
    Tree cover
    37%
    Air quality
    40

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Raleigh air quality (AQI) and tree cover — measured by Airleaf
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Frequently asked

Questions about Raleigh

What is the air quality (AQI) in Raleigh right now?

The latest reading for Raleigh shows an AQI of 47 (Good), measured Nov 11, 10:00 local time by 3 ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ (the median of their readings; the nearest is 1200 block of Garner Road, 0.6 mi (1 km) away). The main pollutant is PM2.5. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.

Is it safe to exercise outside in Raleigh today?

At AQI 47 (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 Raleigh been like this week?

Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Raleigh's daily AQI at 35 on average, from 24 on Nov 6 to an hourly peak of 61 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 Raleigh lost since 2001?

Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Raleigh has lost about 6,970 acres (2,820 hectares) of forest (about 5,300 football fields): 19% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (96%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 282 acres (114 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 278 acres (113 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Raleigh shrank from about 49,600 acres (20,100 hectares) to 48,600 acres (19,700 hectares), a net loss of about 1,060 acres (427 hectares) (−2.1%). New forest grew on about 2,650 acres (1,070 hectares), but 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) were lost.

What is the tree count in Raleigh?

Raleigh has an estimated 128,177 trees across the 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²) measured — 40.8% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.

How many more trees does Raleigh need?

Raleigh has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.

How are Raleigh's air quality and tree cover measured?

Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Downtown, 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; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.

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