US Air Quality Rankings 2026: Best & Worst Cities by Current AQI

Q: Which US city has the best air quality?

Currently, Anchorage, AK has the best air quality in the United States with an AQI of 20 (Good). Rankings are updated in real-time based on EPA monitoring data.

Q: Which US city has the worst air quality today?

Currently, Bakersfield, CA has the highest pollution levels with an AQI of 120 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Air quality can change significantly throughout the day and by season.

Q: How many US cities do you track for air quality?

We track real-time air quality data for 149 cities across the United States, covering all 50 states plus Washington D.C.

February 2026: #1 cleanest city is Anchorage, AK (AQI 20). Live EPA data updated hourly. Find which US cities have the healthiest air today.

78 cities with Good air quality

69 cities with Moderate air quality

2 cities requiring caution

About These Rankings

Rankings are based on real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) data from EPA monitoring stations via the AirNow network. The AQI is calculated from measurements of five major pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Lower AQI values indicate cleaner air. Rankings update as new data becomes available throughout the day.

Complete 2026 Air Quality Rankings

Rank	City	State	AQI	Category
1	Anchorage	Alaska	AQI 20	Good
2	Seattle	Washington	AQI 25	Good
3	Honolulu	Hawaii	AQI 25	Good
4	Miami	Florida	AQI 28	Good
5	Syracuse	New York	AQI 35	Good
6	Toledo	Ohio	AQI 36	Good
7	Mesa	Arizona	AQI 36	Good
8	Boston	Massachusetts	AQI 36	Good
9	Tulsa	Oklahoma	AQI 36	Good
10	Riverside	California	AQI 37	Good
11	Las Vegas	Nevada	AQI 37	Good
12	New Haven	Connecticut	AQI 37	Good
13	Sacramento	California	AQI 38	Good
14	Laredo	Texas	AQI 38	Good
15	Raleigh	North Carolina	AQI 38	Good
16	Memphis	Tennessee	AQI 38	Good
17	Hartford	Connecticut	AQI 38	Good
18	Oakland	California	AQI 39	Good
19	Long Beach	California	AQI 39	Good
20	Lubbock	Texas	AQI 39	Good
21	West Palm Beach	Florida	AQI 39	Good
22	Lansing	Michigan	AQI 39	Good
23	Reno	Nevada	AQI 39	Good
24	Baltimore	Maryland	AQI 39	Good
25	Fargo	North Dakota	AQI 39	Good
26	Visalia	California	AQI 40	Good
27	Tallahassee	Florida	AQI 40	Good
28	Trenton	New Jersey	AQI 40	Good
29	Cambridge	Massachusetts	AQI 40	Good
30	New Orleans	Louisiana	AQI 40	Good
31	Montgomery	Alabama	AQI 40	Good
32	Nashville	Tennessee	AQI 41	Good
33	Charleston	South Carolina	AQI 41	Good
34	Albuquerque	New Mexico	AQI 41	Good
35	Lincoln	Nebraska	AQI 41	Good
36	Des Moines	Iowa	AQI 41	Good
37	Fort Lauderdale	Florida	AQI 42	Good
38	Greensboro	North Carolina	AQI 42	Good
39	Baton Rouge	Louisiana	AQI 42	Good
40	Jackson	Mississippi	AQI 42	Good
41	Portland	Maine	AQI 42	Good
42	Dallas	Texas	AQI 43	Good
43	Winston-Salem	North Carolina	AQI 43	Good
44	Grand Rapids	Michigan	AQI 43	Good
45	Colorado Springs	Colorado	AQI 43	Good
46	Washington	District of Columbia	AQI 43	Good
47	San Francisco	California	AQI 44	Good
48	Philadelphia	Pennsylvania	AQI 44	Good
49	Norfolk	Virginia	AQI 44	Good
50	Minneapolis	Minnesota	AQI 45	Good
51	Rockford	Illinois	AQI 46	Good
52	Portland	Oregon	AQI 46	Good
53	Indianapolis	Indiana	AQI 46	Good
54	Louisville	Kentucky	AQI 46	Good
55	Burlington	Vermont	AQI 46	Good
56	Tampa	Florida	AQI 47	Good
57	Newark	New Jersey	AQI 47	Good
58	Kansas City	Missouri	AQI 47	Good
59	Virginia Beach	Virginia	AQI 47	Good
60	Omaha	Nebraska	AQI 47	Good
61	Wichita	Kansas	AQI 47	Good
62	Manchester	New Hampshire	AQI 47	Good
63	Amarillo	Texas	AQI 48	Good
64	Cincinnati	Ohio	AQI 48	Good
65	Savannah	Georgia	AQI 48	Good
66	Richmond	Virginia	AQI 48	Good
67	Austin	Texas	AQI 49	Good
68	Buffalo	New York	AQI 49	Good
69	Billings	Montana	AQI 49	Good
70	San Jose	California	AQI 50	Good
71	San Antonio	Texas	AQI 50	Good
72	Orlando	Florida	AQI 50	Good
73	New York	New York	AQI 50	Good
74	Albany	New York	AQI 50	Good
75	Aurora	Illinois	AQI 50	Good
76	Peoria	Illinois	AQI 50	Good
77	Macon	Georgia	AQI 50	Good
78	Charleston	West Virginia	AQI 50	Good
79	Cleveland	Ohio	AQI 51	Moderate
80	Spokane	Washington	AQI 51	Moderate
81	Knoxville	Tennessee	AQI 51	Moderate
82	Oklahoma City	Oklahoma	AQI 51	Moderate
83	Irvine	California	AQI 52	Moderate
84	Akron	Ohio	AQI 52	Moderate
85	Augusta	Georgia	AQI 52	Moderate
86	Ann Arbor	Michigan	AQI 52	Moderate
87	Flint	Michigan	AQI 52	Moderate
88	Vancouver	Washington	AQI 52	Moderate
89	Wilmington	Delaware	AQI 52	Moderate
90	White Plains	New York	AQI 53	Moderate
91	Harrisburg	Pennsylvania	AQI 53	Moderate
92	Springfield	Massachusetts	AQI 53	Moderate
93	Corpus Christi	Texas	AQI 54	Moderate
94	St. Petersburg	Florida	AQI 54	Moderate
95	Aurora	Colorado	AQI 54	Moderate
96	Scranton	Pennsylvania	AQI 55	Moderate
97	Erie	Pennsylvania	AQI 55	Moderate
98	Charlotte	North Carolina	AQI 55	Moderate
99	Tacoma	Washington	AQI 55	Moderate
100	St. Paul	Minnesota	AQI 55	Moderate
101	Birmingham	Alabama	AQI 55	Moderate
102	Boise	Idaho	AQI 55	Moderate
103	Rochester	New York	AQI 56	Moderate
104	Binghamton	New York	AQI 56	Moderate
105	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	AQI 56	Moderate
106	Lexington	Kentucky	AQI 56	Moderate
107	San Diego	California	AQI 57	Moderate
108	Santa Rosa	California	AQI 57	Moderate
109	Brownsville	Texas	AQI 57	Moderate
110	Yonkers	New York	AQI 57	Moderate
111	Columbia	South Carolina	AQI 57	Moderate
112	Scottsdale	Arizona	AQI 58	Moderate
113	Santa Fe	New Mexico	AQI 58	Moderate
114	Cheyenne	Wyoming	AQI 58	Moderate
115	El Paso	Texas	AQI 59	Moderate
116	Fort Wayne	Indiana	AQI 59	Moderate
117	McAllen	Texas	AQI 60	Moderate
118	Columbus	Ohio	AQI 60	Moderate
119	Little Rock	Arkansas	AQI 60	Moderate
120	Sioux Falls	South Dakota	AQI 60	Moderate
121	Modesto	California	AQI 61	Moderate
122	Jacksonville	Florida	AQI 61	Moderate
123	Dayton	Ohio	AQI 61	Moderate
124	Atlanta	Georgia	AQI 61	Moderate
125	Jersey City	New Jersey	AQI 61	Moderate
126	Denver	Colorado	AQI 61	Moderate
127	Madison	Wisconsin	AQI 61	Moderate
128	Providence	Rhode Island	AQI 61	Moderate
129	Stockton	California	AQI 62	Moderate
130	Pensacola	Florida	AQI 62	Moderate
131	Pittsburgh	Pennsylvania	AQI 62	Moderate
132	Worcester	Massachusetts	AQI 62	Moderate
133	Tucson	Arizona	AQI 63	Moderate
134	Sarasota	Florida	AQI 64	Moderate
135	Springfield	Illinois	AQI 64	Moderate
136	Phoenix	Arizona	AQI 64	Moderate
137	Fort Collins	Colorado	AQI 64	Moderate
138	Fort Worth	Texas	AQI 65	Moderate
139	Allentown	Pennsylvania	AQI 65	Moderate
140	Durham	North Carolina	AQI 65	Moderate
141	Atlantic City	New Jersey	AQI 65	Moderate
142	Houston	Texas	AQI 67	Moderate
143	St. Louis	Missouri	AQI 68	Moderate
144	Chicago	Illinois	AQI 69	Moderate
145	Detroit	Michigan	AQI 70	Moderate
146	Los Angeles	California	AQI 74	Moderate
147	Salt Lake City	Utah	AQI 83	Moderate
148	Fresno	California	AQI 104	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
149	Bakersfield	California	AQI 120	Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Quality Rankings

Which US city has the best air quality?

Currently, Anchorage, AK has the best air quality in the United States with an AQI of 20 (Good). Rankings are updated in real-time based on EPA monitoring data.

Which US city has the worst air quality today?

Currently, Bakersfield, CA has the highest pollution levels with an AQI of 120 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Air quality can change significantly throughout the day and by season.

How often are these air quality rankings updated?

Our air quality rankings are updated every hour using real-time data from EPA monitoring stations via the AirNow network. This ensures you always have access to the most current air quality information for planning outdoor activities or travel.

What is considered "good" air quality?

Air quality is considered "Good" when the AQI is between 0-50. At this level, air pollution poses little or no risk, and outdoor activities are safe for everyone including sensitive groups. Currently, 78 out of 149 cities have good air quality.

How many US cities do you track for air quality?

We track real-time air quality data for 149 cities across the United States, covering all 50 states plus Washington D.C. Our data comes from EPA-certified monitoring stations that measure PM2.5, ozone, and other key pollutants.