City report · Alabama, United States
Tuscaloosa Air quality today
Air quality in Tuscaloosa currently reads AQI 26 (Good): Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
Air quality right now
AQI 26
Good
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 4.6
- tree cover
- 39.6%
- trees in this area
- 118K
- more trees needed
- 0
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around Tuscaloosa, AL, USA (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Aug 19, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
Tuscaloosa · AQI 26 (Good)
Tuscaloosa's tree count comes to 118,311 trees across 4.6 sq mi (11.95 km²) of land, already at or above the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area.
Air quality detail
Air quality in Tuscaloosa today: AQI 26, Good
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 07:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Duncanville Middle S, 9.4 mi (15.1 km) away
Health signal
Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
PM2.5
4.6
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirNow
- 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 Tuscaloosa's daily AQI at 25 on average, from 9 on Nov 4 to an hourly peak of 60 on Nov 9.
Where Tuscaloosa stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in Tuscaloosa: Healthy tree cover
39.6% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.6 sq mi (11.95 km²) of land.
Trees in this area
118,311
Target trees
118,311
More trees needed
0
CO₂ if planted / yr
0 kg
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has Tuscaloosa lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Tuscaloosa has lost about 8,190 acres (3,310 hectares) of forest (about 6,200 football fields): 21% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (60%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads.
2017: satellite photo from July 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area about 7 km north of the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 8,190 acres (3,310 ha)about 6,200 football fields
- Share of its forest
- 21%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 4,890 acres (1,980 ha)deforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 229 acres (93 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 269 acres (109 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. The worst year was 2011, when about 1,120 acres (454 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 | 252 acres (102 ha) | 289 acres (117 ha) | 541 acres (219 ha) |
| 2002 | 175 acres (71 ha) | 129 acres (52 ha) | 304 acres (123 ha) |
| 2003 | 269 acres (109 ha) | 57 acres (23 ha) | 326 acres (132 ha) |
| 2004 | 200 acres (81 ha) | 82 acres (33 ha) | 282 acres (114 ha) |
| 2005 | 289 acres (117 ha) | 64 acres (26 ha) | 353 acres (143 ha) |
| 2006 | 316 acres (128 ha) | 143 acres (58 ha) | 460 acres (186 ha) |
| 2007 | 186 acres (75 ha) | 106 acres (43 ha) | 292 acres (118 ha) |
| 2008 | 207 acres (84 ha) | 282 acres (114 ha) | 489 acres (198 ha) |
| 2009 | 233 acres (94 ha) | 259 acres (105 ha) | 492 acres (199 ha) |
| 2010 | 166 acres (67 ha) | 131 acres (53 ha) | 297 acres (120 ha) |
| 2011 | 966 acres (391 ha) | 156 acres (63 ha) | 1,120 acres (454 ha) |
| 2012 | 88 acres (36 ha) | 48 acres (20 ha) | 137 acres (55 ha) |
| 2013 | 67 acres (27 ha) | 109 acres (44 ha) | 176 acres (71 ha) |
| 2014 | 153 acres (62 ha) | 55 acres (22 ha) | 208 acres (84 ha) |
| 2015 | 145 acres (59 ha) | 80 acres (33 ha) | 225 acres (91 ha) |
| 2016 | 126 acres (51 ha) | 336 acres (136 ha) | 462 acres (187 ha) |
| 2017 | 175 acres (71 ha) | 151 acres (61 ha) | 326 acres (132 ha) |
| 2018 | 71 acres (29 ha) | 194 acres (78 ha) | 264 acres (107 ha) |
| 2019 | 30 acres (12 ha) | 133 acres (54 ha) | 164 acres (66 ha) |
| 2020 | 57 acres (23 ha) | 72 acres (29 ha) | 129 acres (52 ha) |
| 2021 | 83 acres (33 ha) | 25 acres (10 ha) | 107 acres (43 ha) |
| 2022 | 89 acres (36 ha) | 126 acres (51 ha) | 215 acres (87 ha) |
| 2023 | 221 acres (89 ha) | 68 acres (28 ha) | 289 acres (117 ha) |
| 2024 | 195 acres (79 ha) | 136 acres (55 ha) | 331 acres (134 ha) |
| 2025 | 132 acres (54 ha) | 69 acres (28 ha) | 201 acres (81 ha) |
What is causing deforestation around Tuscaloosa?
- Towns and roadscleared for good60% · 4,890 acres (1,980 ha)
- Loggingcan grow back40% · 3,290 acres (1,330 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
- 44,600 acres (18,000 ha)
- Forest in 2020
- 43,200 acres (17,500 ha)
- Overall change
- −1,350 acres (547 ha)less forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Tuscaloosa shrank from about 44,600 acres (18,000 hectares) to 43,200 acres (17,500 hectares), a net loss of about 1,350 acres (547 hectares) (−3%). New forest grew on about 1,640 acres (663 hectares), but 2,990 acres (1,210 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 Tuscaloosa
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Birmingham79.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 14%
- Air quality
- 74
- Montgomery151.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 44%
- Air quality
- 152
- Huntsville191.9 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 35%
- Air quality
- 59
- Columbus255.1 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 37%
- Air quality
- 37
- Jackson264.7 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 35%
- Air quality
- 66
- Mobile283.2 km
United States
- Tree cover
- 31%
- Air quality
- 60
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Frequently asked
Questions about Tuscaloosa
What is the air quality (AQI) in Tuscaloosa right now?
The latest reading for Tuscaloosa shows an AQI of 26 (Good), measured Nov 11, 07:00 local time by the Duncanville Middle S ground monitoring station, 9.4 mi (15.1 km) away, via OpenAQ. The main pollutant is PM2.5. Air quality is satisfactory for everyone.
Is it safe to exercise outside in Tuscaloosa today?
At AQI 26 (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 Tuscaloosa been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put Tuscaloosa's daily AQI at 25 on average, from 9 on Nov 4 to an hourly peak of 60 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 Tuscaloosa lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of Tuscaloosa has lost about 8,190 acres (3,310 hectares) of forest (about 6,200 football fields): 21% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it (60%) was deforestation, forest cleared for good, mainly for towns and roads. Forest loss has stayed about the same: about 229 acres (93 hectares) a year in 2021–2025, against 269 acres (109 hectares) a year in 2016–2020. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around Tuscaloosa shrank from about 44,600 acres (18,000 hectares) to 43,200 acres (17,500 hectares), a net loss of about 1,350 acres (547 hectares) (−3%). New forest grew on about 1,640 acres (663 hectares), but 2,990 acres (1,210 hectares) were lost.
What is the tree count in Tuscaloosa?
Tuscaloosa has an estimated 118,311 trees across the 4.6 sq mi (11.95 km²) of land measured — 39.6% tree cover, already past the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does Tuscaloosa need?
Tuscaloosa has already reached its tree-cover target, so no additional trees are needed to close the gap.
How are Tuscaloosa's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near Tuscaloosa, 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 Tuscaloosa; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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