Air Quality Index Checker

Live AQI, pollutant breakdown & 24-hour trend for any location.

A free Air Quality Index (AQI) checker for any location worldwide. Search a city or use your device's location to see the current US AQI on a colour-coded gauge with plain-English health guidance, a full pollutant breakdown (PM2.5, PM10, ozone, NO2, SO2, CO), the equivalent European AQI, and a 24-hour AQI forecast trend — so you can check 'AQI near me' and plan outdoor activity, exercise or travel around cleaner air. Runs on a free, keyless air quality API — no sign-up.

Air Quality Index Checker features

How to use Air Quality Index Checker

  1. Search a place

    Type any city worldwide, or tap My location to check the AQI near you right now.

  2. Read the AQI gauge

    See the current US AQI number and its colour-coded level — Good, Moderate, Unhealthy and beyond.

  3. Check pollutant levels

    Scroll to the breakdown for PM2.5, PM10, ozone, NO2, SO2 and CO concentrations in µg/m³.

  4. Follow the health advice

    Read the plain-English guidance for the current AQI level — whether it's safe for outdoor exercise, or sensitive groups should stay in.

  5. Check the 24-hour trend

    View the next 24 hours of forecast AQI to plan outdoor activities around cleaner air.

Frequently asked questions

What is AQI (Air Quality Index)?

AQI is a standardised 0–500 scale that translates pollutant concentrations (like PM2.5 and ozone) into a single number and colour-coded category — Good, Moderate, Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy or Hazardous — so anyone can quickly judge how clean or polluted the air is.

How do I check the AQI near me?

Tap My location and allow browser location access — the tool instantly shows the current AQI, pollutant breakdown and health advice for exactly where you are.

What is a good AQI level?

An AQI of 0–50 is "Good" — air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no risk. 51–100 is "Moderate", acceptable for most people, though unusually sensitive individuals may want to reduce prolonged outdoor exertion.

What is PM2.5 and why does it matter most?

PM2.5 is fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres — small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. It's the pollutant most strongly linked to respiratory and cardiovascular health effects, and usually drives the overall AQI number.

What's the difference between US AQI and European AQI?

Both convert the same underlying pollutant measurements into an index, but use different scales and breakpoints — the US EPA scale runs 0–500, while the European EAQI runs 0–100+ with different category boundaries. This tool shows both so you can compare.

Is it safe to exercise outdoors at the current AQI?

Check the health advice shown under the gauge — at Good/Moderate levels, normal outdoor exercise is fine. At Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and above, people with asthma, heart conditions, children, and the elderly should reduce or avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; at Very Unhealthy/Hazardous, everyone should avoid it.

How often is the AQI data updated?

Air quality readings are based on hourly atmospheric modelling and update continuously — reload the page or re-search your location for the latest reading.

Can I check the AQI forecast, not just right now?

Yes — the 24-hour AQI trend chart shows the forecast air quality for the next 24 hours at your selected location, so you can time outdoor activities for cleaner air.

Is this AQI checker free to use?

Yes, completely free with no sign-up, no API key and no daily limit.

Why might the AQI differ from my local weather app?

Small differences are normal — different services can use slightly different monitoring stations, atmospheric models, or update frequencies. The overall category (Good, Moderate, Unhealthy…) should generally agree, even if the exact number differs by a few points.

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