Mexico · Baja California · 4 cities
Air quality in Baja California today The AQI right now, city by city
Right now, Ensenada has the cleanest air of the 4 cities we track in Baja California (AQI 32, Good), and Mexicali the worst (AQI 71, Moderate). Tijuana has the most tree cover, at 5.4% — #91 of 114 cities measured in Mexico.
Every city is measured the same way, over the same 2 km around its center: the air quality right now, from ground stations where there are any, and its tree cover.
Average right now
AQI 59
Moderate
- cities tracked
- 4
- average tree cover
- 2.9%
- Mexico: 14.6%
- worst air now: Mexicali
- 71
- cleanest air now: Ensenada
- 32
Lower is better on the US EPA index: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous. Measured by Airleaf, refreshed hourly.
Baja California · average AQI 59
Air quality today across Baja California, city by city
| Tijuana | 66Moderate | 5.4% | 77.3K | #91 of 114 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexicali | 71Moderate | 2.2% | 87.3K | #110 of 114 |
| Ensenada | 32Good | 2.0% | 88.0K | #112 of 114 |
| Rosarito | 66Moderate | 2.1% | 87.7K | #111 of 114 |
Air quality is the US AQI from ground monitoring stations via OpenAQ where available, otherwise the Open-Meteo / CAMS model, refreshed hourly. Tree cover is measured within 2 km of each city center from Sentinel-2 imagery; the rank compares every city measured in Mexico.
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Baja California lost?
Since 2001, Baja California has lost about 16,100 hectares of forest (about 23,000 football pitches): 31% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to wildfires, so much of it can grow back. About 367 hectares (2.3%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 16,100 haabout 23,000 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 31%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 367 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6 ha | 44 ha | 50 ha |
| 2002 | 27 ha | 588 ha | 615 ha |
| 2003 | 73 ha | 622 ha | 694 ha |
| 2004 | 60 ha | 1,300 ha | 1,360 ha |
| 2005 | 18 ha | 912 ha | 930 ha |
| 2006 | 28 ha | 1,500 ha | 1,530 ha |
| 2007 | 37 ha | 1,140 ha | 1,180 ha |
| 2008 | 21 ha | 1,150 ha | 1,170 ha |
| 2009 | 34 ha | 4,190 ha | 4,220 ha |
| 2010 | 27 ha | 374 ha | 401 ha |
| 2011 | 15 ha | 49 ha | 64 ha |
| 2012 | 6 ha | 104 ha | 110 ha |
| 2013 | under 1 ha | 137 ha | 137 ha |
| 2014 | under 1 ha | 242 ha | 242 ha |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | 249 ha | 249 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | 35 ha | 36 ha |
| 2017 | 4 ha | 363 ha | 366 ha |
| 2018 | 4 ha | 1,080 ha | 1,080 ha |
| 2019 | 4 ha | 169 ha | 173 ha |
| 2020 | 1 ha | 241 ha | 242 ha |
| 2021 | 1 ha | 374 ha | 375 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | 278 ha | 278 ha |
| 2023 | under 1 ha | 57 ha | 58 ha |
| 2024 | under 1 ha | 45 ha | 46 ha |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | 514 ha | 515 ha |
Forest loss is slowing down: about 254 hectares a year in 2021–2025, down from 380 hectares a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2009, when about 4,220 hectares of forest were lost, mostly to wildfires.
What is causing deforestation in Baja California?
- Wildfirescan grow back95% · 15,300 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good1.8% · 291 ha
- Unknown causescause unknown3.1% · 499 ha
Also: towns and roads, mining and energy, storms, floods and other natural causes, logging.
Causes for 2025 are estimates, based on what caused forest loss in the same places up to 2024.
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. How it's measured
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