Free Air Quality Map (+ 5-Day Air Quality Forecast)

What is the air quality map?

The air quality map is a free forecast of the air in 185 places, for today and the 4 days after.

Each place shows its AQI and the fine particles behind it (PM2.5), in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³).

Hover any card for its next 5 days, or switch to the map to see the whole world at once.

How the forecast works

The figures come from one open source, worked out the same way for every place:

• The forecast – Copernicus's CAMS global air forecast, run twice a day, every 3 hours out to 5 days, on a grid about 28 mi (45 km) across
• Each day – the average of the hours that fall in the place's own day, in its own time zone
• The adjustment – the model's figures times 0.83, as the cleanest air cities do, to match what stations measure
• The AQI – the US EPA's formula for PM2.5 over a day, with its 2024 breakpoints

It covers fine particles only, from smoke, dust and traffic, so ozone and other gases aren't in this index.

What do the AQI numbers mean?

The EPA splits the index into 6 bands, each with its own color:

• Good (0 to 50) – the air is fine for everyone
• Moderate (51 to 100) – fine for most people, though a few very sensitive people may notice it
• Unhealthy for sensitive groups (101 to 150) – people with heart or lung conditions, older adults and children should take it easier outside
• Unhealthy (151 to 200) – everyone may start to feel it, and sensitive groups more so
• Very unhealthy (201 to 300) – a health alert for everyone
• Hazardous (301 and up) – an emergency level

The cards and the map use the same colors, from green to maroon.

Where is the air cleanest?

Over a year, these places have the cleanest air measured by government monitors nearby:

1. Alicante – Spain, 3.2 µg/m³ a year
2. Funchal – Portugal, 3.6 µg/m³ a year
3. Tallinn – Estonia, 4.0 µg/m³ a year
4. Honolulu – United States, 4.1 µg/m³ a year
5. Stockholm – Sweden, 4.2 µg/m³ a year
6. Reykjavík – Iceland, 4.2 µg/m³ a year
7. Edinburgh – United Kingdom, 4.4 µg/m³ a year
8. Vancouver – Canada, 4.8 µg/m³ a year

For today's cleanest, sort the map above by cleanest air that day, and see the cleanest air cities for every month.

Where is the air worst?

These places have the most fine particles on government monitors over a year, and the month they peak:

1. Kathmandu – Nepal, 52.7 µg/m³ a year, worst in April
2. Kigali – Rwanda, 45.3 µg/m³ a year, worst in July
3. Hanoi – Vietnam, 44.6 µg/m³ a year, worst in January
4. Guadalajara – Mexico, 27.3 µg/m³ a year, worst in October
5. Belgrade – Serbia, 21.0 µg/m³ a year, worst in December
6. Mexico City – Mexico, 20.7 µg/m³ a year, worst in January

Open a place's guide for its air month by month, and when it usually clears.

Who is the air quality map for?

It's for anyone who plans their days around the air:

• Travelers checking the week ahead before they fly
• People sensitive to air pollution choosing when to be outside
• Digital nomads comparing their next base

If you also want the weather, the climate finder shows it for any month.

More ways to find your next place

These tools use the same places, each for a different question:

• Cleanest air cities – the places ranked by their air over a year
• Digital nomad locations – every place, with its weather, internet and safety
• Climate finder – the weather in any place, any month
• Best places to travel right now – this month's best places

Every place links to its guide, with the visa, tax and money tools for its country.