Canadian Wildfires Causing These U.S. Cities to Have Terrible Air Quality
https://climatecrisis247.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Forecast-particulate-matter-PM2.5-concentration-June-12-150x150.pngThis week, wildfire smoke from British Columbia and stagnant high-pressure systems are trapping particulate matter in cities throughout the Midwest, causing air quality in some metro areas to rank among the worst in the world. Pollution is forecast to spread into the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and Mid-Atlantic regions throughout the week, pushing PM2.5 concentrations to nearly double the EPA’s limit for healthy air of 35 micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter in a 24-hour period.
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The National Weather Service has issued air quality alerts for 111 counties nationwide, representing over nine million Americans. While the remote parts of North Dakota and Minnesota tend to have some of the best air quality in the country, cities like Fargo and Minneapolis now rank alongside pollution hotspots like Santiago and Beijing in real-time air pollutant concentration. A closer look at the data reveals the U.S. cities with the worst air quality right now.
To determine the cities with the worst air quality right now, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on particulate matter forecasts from the NOAA. Cities were ranked based on maximum forecast particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration from June 12 to June 14, 2025. Only cities with at least 40,000 residents were considered. Supplemental data on total value of owner-occupied real estate and total population by city are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
25. Westfield, IN
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 25.8 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $6.2 billion
- Total population: 48,262
24. Bolingbrook, IL
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 25.9 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $5.6 billion
- Total population: 73,755
23. Aurora, IL
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.2 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $11.1 billion
- Total population: 181,405
22. Naperville, IL
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.3 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $20.7 billion
- Total population: 149,089
21. Delaware, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.4 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $2.7 billion
- Total population: 41,926
20. Romeoville, IL
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.6 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $2.5 billion
- Total population: 40,132
19. Findlay, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.7 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $1.9 billion
- Total population: 40,408
18. Grand Forks, ND
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.8 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $3.0 billion
- Total population: 58,935
17. Plainfield, IL
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.8 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $5.0 billion
- Total population: 44,941
16. Lancaster, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 26.9 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $1.7 billion
- Total population: 40,616
15. Altoona, PA
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 27.2 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $1.7 billion
- Total population: 43,821
14. Joliet, IL
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 27.2 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $8.9 billion
- Total population: 150,221
13. Dublin, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 27.4 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $6.7 billion
- Total population: 48,893
12. Fort Wayne, IN
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 27.7 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $11.9 billion
- Total population: 264,514
11. Springfield, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 28.1 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $1.5 billion
- Total population: 58,645
10. Fargo, ND
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 28.2 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $7.5 billion
- Total population: 127,319
9. Moorhead, MN
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 28.3 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $2.9 billion
- Total population: 44,443
8. Newark, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 28.6 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $2.0 billion
- Total population: 50,062
7. Toledo, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 28.8 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $7.3 billion
- Total population: 269,962
6. Columbus, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 29.5 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $41.0 billion
- Total population: 902,449
5. Reynoldsburg, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 30.1 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $2.2 billion
- Total population: 40,926
4. Grove City, OH
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 30.3 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $3.3 billion
- Total population: 41,423
3. Huntington, WV
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 33.1 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $1.6 billion
- Total population: 46,637
2. Bismarck, ND
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 54.1 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $6.5 billion
- Total population: 73,694
1. Minot, ND
- Maximum forecast PM2.5 concentration in next 72 hours: 64.5 µg/m³
- Total value of all homes: $3.1 billion
- Total population: 48,038
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