City report · England, United Kingdom
York Air quality today
Air quality in York currently reads AQI 56 (Moderate): Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
AQI 56
Air quality right now
Moderate
- PM2.5, fine particles (µg/m³)
- 11.6
- tree cover
- 23.8%
- trees in this area
- 74.8K
- more trees needed
- 19.5K
Measured across a 1.2 mi (2 km) radius around City Centre, York, UK (4.9 sq mi), from a satellite image of Aug 13, 2026. Lower AQI is better: 0–50 is Good, above 300 is Hazardous.
York · AQI 56 (Moderate)
York's tree count comes to 74,770 trees across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²), 6 points below the 30% tree-cover level considered healthy for this area, so roughly 19,478 more trees would close the gap.
Air quality detail
Air quality in York today: AQI 56, Moderate
Main pollutant: PM2.5 · Observed Nov 11, 17:00 local time via OpenAQ ground stations, US EPA index. Values in µg/m³.
Ground station · Water End, York, 1.1 mi (1.7 km) away
Health signal
Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting long outdoor exertion.
PM2.5
11.6
PM10
—
NO₂
—
O₃
—
SO₂
—
CO
—
Data: OpenAQ · AirGradient, Harry H
- 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 York's daily AQI at 51 on average, from 16 on Nov 4 to an hourly peak of 79 on Nov 9.
This is the US EPA AQI. How it differs from the UK's Daily Air Quality Index
Where York stands: the most polluted cities in the world right now · the cleanest
Tree cover detail
Tree cover in York: Below target
23.8% tree cover against a 30% healthy-neighborhood target, across 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²).
Trees in this area
74,770
Target trees
94,248
More trees needed
19,478
CO₂ if planted / yr
428.5 t
Deforestation · 2001–2025
How much forest has York lost?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of York has lost about 101 hectares of forest (about 140 football pitches): 5.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 7 hectares (6.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns.
2017: satellite photo from August 2017 of a 5 × 5 km area in the city center.
- Forest lost since 2001
- 101 haabout 140 football pitches
- Share of its forest
- 5.3%of what there was in 2000
- Cleared for good
- 7 hadeforestation: turned into farms, mines or towns
The worst year was 2001, when about 15 hectares of forest were lost.
Hectares of forest lost each year
Show the figures as a table
| Year | Cleared for good | Can grow back | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6 ha | 10 ha | 15 ha |
| 2002 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 3 ha |
| 2003 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2004 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2005 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2006 | under 1 ha | 8 ha | 8 ha |
| 2007 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2008 | under 1 ha | 1 ha | 1 ha |
| 2009 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2010 | under 1 ha | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2011 | under 1 ha | 9 ha | 10 ha |
| 2012 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2013 | under 1 ha | 14 ha | 14 ha |
| 2014 | under 1 ha | 2 ha | 2 ha |
| 2015 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2016 | under 1 ha | 4 ha | 4 ha |
| 2017 | under 1 ha | 9 ha | 9 ha |
| 2018 | under 1 ha | 9 ha | 9 ha |
| 2019 | under 1 ha | 10 ha | 10 ha |
| 2020 | under 1 ha | 5 ha | 5 ha |
| 2021 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2022 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2023 | under 1 ha | 3 ha | 3 ha |
| 2024 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
| 2025 | under 1 ha | under 1 ha | under 1 ha |
What is causing deforestation around York?
- Loggingcan grow back83% · 84 ha
- Farms, pasture and plantationscleared for good5.8% · 6 ha
- Unknown causescause unknown11% · 11 ha
Also: towns and roads.
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
- 1,420 ha
- Forest in 2020
- 1,750 ha
- Overall change
- +328 hamore forest than in 2000
Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around York grew from about 1,420 hectares to 1,750 hectares, a net gain of about 328 hectares (+23%). New forest grew on about 393 hectares, while 65 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 York
Same 2 km radius, same index — so they compare directly.
- Leeds35.4 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 16%
- Air quality
- 29
- Wakefield40.9 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 25%
- Air quality
- 29
- Bradford47.5 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 18%
- Air quality
- 15
- Doncaster48.5 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 14%
- Air quality
- 37
- Kingston upon Hull54.5 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 10%
- Air quality
- 24
- Huddersfield57.4 km
United Kingdom
- Tree cover
- 34%
- Air quality
- 29
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Frequently asked
Questions about York
What is the air quality (AQI) in York right now?
The latest reading for York shows an AQI of 56 (Moderate), measured Nov 11, 17:00 local time by the Water End, York ground monitoring station, 1.1 mi (1.7 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 York 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 York been like this week?
Over the last 7 days, the CAMS air-quality model put York's daily AQI at 51 on average, from 16 on Nov 4 to an hourly peak of 79 on Nov 9. No day averaged above 100, the level where the air turns unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Is York's AQI the same as the UK's Daily Air Quality Index?
No. Airleaf shows the US EPA Air Quality Index (AQI), the scale used by IQAir and most air-quality apps. The UK's Daily Air Quality Index (DAQI), published by Defra, runs from 1 to 10: 1–3 low, 4–6 moderate, 7–9 high and 10 very high. It is a different scale altogether, so a US AQI figure can't be read on it directly; both, though, are built from the same main pollutants, with fine particles (PM2.5) usually the one that decides the reading.
How much forest has the area around York lost since 2001?
Since 2001, the area within 10 km of York has lost about 101 hectares of forest (about 140 football pitches): 5.3% of the forest it had in 2000. Most of it was lost to logging, so much of it can grow back. About 7 hectares (6.7%) was deforestation: forest cleared for good for farms, mines or towns. Comparing satellite maps from 2000 and 2020, the forest around York grew from about 1,420 hectares to 1,750 hectares, a net gain of about 328 hectares (+23%). New forest grew on about 393 hectares, while 65 hectares were lost.
What is the tree count in York?
York has an estimated 74,770 trees across the 4.9 sq mi (12.57 km²) measured — 23.8% tree cover, 6 percentage points short of the 30% tree-cover target set for this area.
How many more trees does York need?
York needs roughly 19,478 more trees to close a 6-point shortfall against its 30% tree-cover target — about 428.5 t of extra CO₂ absorbed per year once grown.
How are York's air quality and tree cover measured?
Air quality is measured by ground monitoring stations near City Centre, 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 City Centre; the tree count is an estimate derived from that cover.
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