Cities With The Worst Air Quality Right Now

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This week, the Dragon Bravo fire in Grand Canyon National Park grew to more than 126,000 acres, becoming the largest wildfire of 2025. While Dragon Bravo is by fire the largest wildfire in the country right now, it is only a dozen major wildfires right now that are collectively burning more than 840,000 acres and causing dangerous degradations in air quality.

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Particulate matter concentrations are spiking in cities downwind from the fires, with air pollution levels more than double the EPA threshold – 35 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter of air in a 24-hour period – for unhealthy air in several major metro areas. The National Weather Service has issued air quality alerts in 102 counties, representing 51.6 million Americans. A closer look at the data reveals the cities with the worst air quality right now.

To determine the cities where air quality is the worst right now, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on particulate matter forecasts from the EPA’s AirNow platform. Cities were ranked based on the forecast concentration of 24-hour PM2.5 pollution for August 8, 2025. Only cities with at least 50,000 residents were considered. Supplemental data on forecast temperature maximums are from NOAA.

25. West Allis, WI

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 32.4 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 88.7°F
• Population: 59,907

 

24. Waukesha, WI

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 32.8 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 85.9°F
• Population: 70,945

 

23. Long Beach, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 33.2 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 84.2°F
• Population: 462,293

 

22. Schenectady, NY

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 33.3 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 81.4°F
• Population: 68,476

 

21. Fountain Valley, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 33.6 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 85.0°F
• Population: 56,754

 

20. Troy, NY

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 34.2 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 82.2°F
• Population: 51,268

 

19. Appleton, WI

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 34.2 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 83.9°F
• Population: 75,133

 

18. Carson, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 34.3 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 87.0°F
• Population: 94,475

 

17. Costa Mesa, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 35.3 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 83.0°F
• Population: 111,490

 

16. Greeley, CO

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 35.9 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 101.1°F
• Population: 107,949

 

15. Albany, NY

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 36.2 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 81.9°F
• Population: 99,692

 

14. Huntington Beach, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 36.9 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 79.2°F
• Population: 197,481

 

13. Newport Beach, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 37.2 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 76.0°F
• Population: 85,159

 

12. Green Bay, WI

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 37.5 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 83.9°F
• Population: 106,846

 

11. Gardena, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 39.1 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 84.7°F
• Population: 60,377

 

10. Santa Maria, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 39.7 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 72.0°F
• Population: 109,543

 

9. Inglewood, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 41.5 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 82.7°F
• Population: 106,806

 

8. Fort Collins, CO

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 41.5 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 100.2°F
• Population: 168,758

 

7. Duluth, MN

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 42.0 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 84.0°F
• Population: 86,772

 

6. Hawthorne, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 44.2 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 81.9°F
• Population: 86,978

 

5. Loveland, CO

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 47.0 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 100.9°F
• Population: 76,500

 

4. Torrance, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 49.3 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 80.9°F
• Population: 145,454

 

3. Santa Monica, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 53.0 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 76.0°F
• Population: 92,168

 

2. Redondo Beach, CA

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 55.2 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 75.8°F
• Population: 70,620

 

1. Grand Junction, CO

• Surface air particulate matter concentration, August 8, 2025: 104.8 µg/m³
• Forecast high, August 8, 2025: 100.2°F
• Population: 65,918

 

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