City report · Illinois, United States
Springfield Air quality today
Air quality in Springfield currently reads AQI 56 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Air quality right now
AQI 56
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 11.9
- tree cover
- 33.3%
- trees in this area
- 105K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Downtown, Springfield, IL, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Sep 6, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Springfield · AQI 56 (Moderate)
Springfield's tree count comes to 104,615 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 Springfield today: AQI 56, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 08:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Springfield Ag, 2.1 mi (3.4 km) away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
11.9
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirNow
- 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 Springfield's daily AQI at 27 on average, from 12 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 67 on Nov 11.
Where Springfield stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Springfield: Healthy tree cover
33.3% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²).
Trees in this area
104,615
Target trees
104,615
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Springfield lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Springfield has lost about 181 acres (73 hectares) of forest (about 140 football fields): 1.4% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (86%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations.
2017: satellite photo from June 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 181 acres (73 ha)about 140 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 1.4%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 156 acres (63 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2014, when about 43 acres (17 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 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | 3 acres (1 ha) |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | 3 acres (1 ha) |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2012 | 6 acres (3 ha) | under 1 ha | 7 acres (3 ha) |
| 2013 | 14 acres (6 ha) | 6 acres (2 ha) | 20 acres (8 ha) |
| 2014 | 41 acres (17 ha) | under 1 ha | 43 acres (17 ha) |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | 3 acres (1 ha) |
| 2016 | 12 acres (5 ha) | under 1 ha | 12 acres (5 ha) |
| 2017 | 27 acres (11 ha) | 2 acres (1 ha) | 29 acres (12 ha) |
| 2018 | 8 acres (3 ha) | under 1 ha | 9 acres (4 ha) |
| 2019 | 4 acres (2 ha) | under 1 ha | 4 acres (2 ha) |
| 2020 | 6 acres (2 ha) | under 1 ha | 6 acres (2 ha) |
| 2021 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | 4 acres (2 ha) |
| 2022 | 6 acres (2 ha) | under 1 ha | 7 acres (3 ha) |
| 2023 | 9 acres (4 ha) | under 1 ha | 9 acres (4 ha) |
| 2024 | 11 acres (5 ha) | under 1 ha | 13 acres (5 ha) |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
What is causing deforestation around Springfield?
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good52% · 95 acres (38 ha)
- Towns and roadscleared for good34% · 61 acres (25 ha)
- Loggingcan grow back1.5% · 3 acres (1 ha)
Also: 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
- 19,700 acres (7,990 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 21,000 acres (8,480 ha)
- Overall change
- +1,210 acres (491 ha)more forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Springfield grew from about 19,700 acres (7,990 hectares) to 21,000 acres (8,480 hectares), a net gain of about 1,210 acres (491 hectares) (+6.1%). New forest grew on about 1,620 acres (655 hectares), while 403 acres (163 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 Springfield
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Peoria99.3 km
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- Tree cover
- 31%
- Air quality
- 49
- St. Louis139.0 km
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- 7%
- Air quality
- 43
- Davenport207.0 km
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- Tree cover
- 29%
- Air quality
- 44
- Joliet232.5 km
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- Tree cover
- 36%
- Air quality
- 70
- Aurora244.7 km
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- Tree cover
- 39%
- Air quality
- 74
- Columbia249.8 km
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- Tree cover
- 42%
- Air quality
- 58
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Frequently asked
Questions about Springfield
What is the air quality (AQI) in Springfield right now?
The latest reading for Springfield shows an AQI of 56 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 08:00 local time by the Springfield Ag ground monitoring station, 2.1 mi (3.4 km) away, via OpenAQ. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Springfield today?
At AQI 56 (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 Springfield been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Springfield's daily AQI at 27 on average, from 12 on Nov 5 to an hourly peak of 67 on Nov 11. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
How much forest has the area around Springfield lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Springfield has lost about 181 acres (73 hectares) of forest (about 140 football fields): 1.4% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (86%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for farms, pasture and plantations. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Springfield grew from about 19,700 acres (7,990 hectares) to 21,000 acres (8,480 hectares), a net gain of about 1,210 acres (491 hectares) (+6.1%). New forest grew on about 1,620 acres (655 hectares), while 403 acres (163 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Springfield?
Springfield has an estimated 104,615 trees across the 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²) measured — 33.3% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Springfield need?
Springfield has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Springfield'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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