City Guide

Beijing AQI planning guide

Beijing visitors and residents alike benefit from a tool that turns AQI into actions for commuting, exercise, and overnight indoor protection.

Start with AQI 160Read the AQI detail page

Planning AQI

160

Berkeley Earth 24-hour comparison

3.11

cigarette-equivalents per day

Category

Unhealthy

Live AQI and forecast

Live AirNow coverage is strongest for the US, Canada, and parts of Mexico. This page falls back to the city planning baseline outside that footprint.

Static fallback

Fallback planning baseline

160

Planning baseline: about 3.11 cigarettes per 24h

Peak concern season

Nov-Feb

Cool-season buildup and regional episodes can make overnight indoor air the main concern.

Repeat-use trigger

Family routines

Repeated moderate-to-high days tend to affect school, exercise, and sleep together.

Indoor priority

Overnight protection

When AQI stays elevated overnight, bedroom air quality becomes central.

Upcoming forecast

Rising winter pollution episodes and overnight buildup make indoor planning important.

Source note: Live AirNow fallback is not available here, so the page leans on structured local planning data plus the AQI-to-cigarettes model.

What to do now in Beijing

This decision block uses the latest live value when available, otherwise the city planning baseline.

Updated Aug 23, 2:28 AM UTC

Using fallback planning baseline

AQI 160

Unhealthy

About 3.11 cigarettes per 24h at this reading.

Outdoor dose rises fast in this band, especially if windows are open or activity is strenuous.

Cancel outdoor workouts, long walks, and open-window ventilation.
Use a quality mask outdoors and keep trips short.
Prioritize clean indoor air with HEPA filtration and closed windows.

Common planning patterns

Morning readings are not enough if pollution is rising later in the day.
Repeated moderate-to-high exposure changes family routines faster than one isolated spike.
Indoor air quality becomes central when outdoor AQI stays elevated overnight.

City planning checklist

  • Compare short outdoor needs with the whole-day indoor plan.
  • Avoid heavy exercise outside once AQI moves into the orange range or higher.
  • Use saved calculator links for routine scenarios that recur.

Useful next pages for this city

These linked pages answer the kinds of follow-up questions people usually have after checking the reading.

Browse more city guides

Commute exposure planner

Use AQI to decide whether a daily commute is routine, cautionary, or worth changing.

Outdoor exercise risk guide

Translate AQI into a clear decision for running, cycling, or training outside.

Kids and school exposure guide

Plan school runs, recess, and after-school time when children are more sensitive than adults.