Chicago Air Quality: Today's Report & Health Impact

Is the air you breathe in Chicago truly safe? The air quality in Chicago fluctuates, often presenting potential health risks, underscoring the need for constant vigilance and informed decision-making.

Understanding the air quality in Chicago is crucial for safeguarding your health. This involves a multifaceted approach, examining both current conditions and future projections. The data reveals a complex picture, influenced by various pollutants and weather patterns. Monitoring tools, such as air quality maps, scales, and charts, provide detailed information on key pollutants like PM10, NO2, O3, PM2.5, CO, and SO2. These tools are essential for assessing the immediate risks and making informed decisions about outdoor activities. However, it is important to remember that the data is indicative, and can change with a moment's notice.

For those living in Chicago, it is essential to keep up to date, as the situation is always in flux. As of 7 a.m., Chicago's AQI was measured at 60, which the city rated as a moderate risk on the Air Quality Index, or AQI, according to iqair.com. However, the news is not all good, as NBC 5 meteorologist Alicia Roman warned that the air quality was expected to worsen throughout the day. The city is constantly under review, and there have been days that are worse than others. For those looking to take preventative measures, the National Weather Service is warning of unhealthy air quality for all groups throughout the Chicago area as wildfire smoke and blowing dust from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Missouri has approached. The NWS has also made it clear that active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

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The Air Quality Index (AQI) provides a straightforward way to understand the current air quality. It is based on weather conditions and various pollutants, offering a quick reference for assessing risks. Consulting the AQI is one of the best ways to stay abreast of the situation, but it is not the only way. The primary pollutants, the level of risk associated with them, and allergy news for the day and the following ten days should also be taken into account. Live air pollution maps, often compiled by various contributors, show the AQI of different stations. These maps provide visual representations of pollution levels across the city.

The city of Chicago is working hard to provide residents with as much information as possible. The Air Quality Chicago project is working to actively identify areas of the city with unhealthy air quality, educate and empower communities with their own data, and advocate for solutions to clean up the air for all Chicagoans. Before, finding any information on PM2.5 levels at the local neighborhood scale was difficult, but now, thanks to these efforts, the information is more readily available.

Chicago's air quality has often presented cause for concern. Chicago also ranked poorly by another measure of air quality: The metro area ranked 19th in the nation for annual average pollution by fine particles. In 2019, Chicago averaged an air quality index (AQI) of 52 ("moderate"). Recently, the city saw its air quality worsen to the point that it ranked in the no. 1 spot for the worst air quality in the world. According to the monitoring site iqair, Chicago had the worst air quality out of 95 cities worldwide at one point. According to the American Lung Association's 2025 report, Chicago's air quality worsened, ranking 15th for smog and 19th for particle pollution nationally.

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Wildfires and climate change are reversing past progress. The World Air Quality Index Project has exercised all reasonable skill and care in compiling the contents of this information and under no circumstances will the World Air Quality Index Project team or its agents be liable in contract, tort or otherwise for any loss, injury or damage arising directly or indirectly from the supply of this data. The readings arrived just as the American Lung Association issued its annual State of the Air report, which suggests that even days with good air quality in Chicago may be hard on the lungs.

It is worth noting that temperatures will feel like 100 degrees, according to the report. Chicago's air quality by this afternoon was 181, according to iqair.com. That put it in the unhealthy red category, putting more sensitive groups at risk for serious health effects. Furthermore, the air quality report by Plume Labs is also available. "La calidad del aire es aceptable," is what you may hear in Spanish.

Air pollution, including PM2.5, can cause or aggravate various health problems, including respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and other serious conditions. Therefore, being aware of air quality conditions is an important step in protecting health. It is important to check the current and future air quality in Chicago, IL, and understand its impact on your health. The information provided should be viewed as a guide, and the individual needs to be responsible for their own health choices.

Disclaimer: The World Air Quality Index project has exercised all reasonable skill and care in compiling the contents of this information and under no circumstances will the World Air Quality Index project team or its agents be liable in contract, tort or otherwise for any loss, injury or damage arising directly or indirectly from the supply of this data.

Sources:

• IQAir
• AirNow
• American Lung Association