City Guide

New York City AQI planning guide

For New Yorkers, AQI becomes useful when it answers a practical question: is this just city background pollution, or enough to change today's outdoor time?

Start with AQI 88Read the AQI detail page

Planning AQI

88

Berkeley Earth 24-hour comparison

1.32

cigarette-equivalents per day

Category

Moderate

Live AQI and forecast

Current observations and forecasts come from the US EPA AirNow network. Current AQI is an area-level NowCast; local smoke shifts can still change conditions quickly.

AirNow

Current reading

38

Good

Northeast Urban, NJ • 2026-08-23 18:00 EST

Peak concern season

Jun-Sep

Heat, traffic, and occasional Canadian smoke drive the biggest AQI spikes.

Repeat-use trigger

Street-level commute

Platform waits and avenue walking can add up faster than the city average suggests.

Indoor priority

Apartment ventilation

Open-window apartments need a faster switch to filtered indoor air on smoky days.

Upcoming forecast

2026-08-23

AQI 40

Good

8/21 - Moderate air quality is expected on Friday as high pressure builds in, bringing partly sunny skies, a breezy northerly wind, and temperatures reaching the upper 70s/low 80s to the region. 8/22 - Air quality returns to the good category on Saturday as heavy rain showers are expected to begin during the afternoon. 8/23 - Rain may linger into Sunday as mostly cloudy skies and a southwest wind are forecast. Air quality remains good statewide. 8/24 - Sunshine returns on Monday across New Jersey along with dry and tranquil weather and seasonable temperatures. Air quality remains good statewide.

2026-08-24

AQI 50

Good

8/21 - Moderate air quality is expected on Friday as high pressure builds in, bringing partly sunny skies, a breezy northerly wind, and temperatures reaching the upper 70s/low 80s to the region. 8/22 - Air quality returns to the good category on Saturday as heavy rain showers are expected to begin during the afternoon. 8/23 - Rain may linger into Sunday as mostly cloudy skies and a southwest wind are forecast. Air quality remains good statewide. 8/24 - Sunshine returns on Monday across New Jersey along with dry and tranquil weather and seasonable temperatures. Air quality remains good statewide.

Source note: Citywide readings are a good baseline, but street canyons, bridges, and outdoor platforms can feel worse than the headline number.

What to do now in New York City

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

Updated Aug 23, 11:13 PM UTC

Using live AQI

AQI 38

Good

About 0.31 cigarettes per 24h at this reading.

Short outdoor activity is generally low risk when AQI stays in this range.

Proceed with normal outdoor activity.
Use the day to ventilate and prepare before worse conditions arrive.
Check tomorrow's forecast if wildfire smoke or inversion is developing.

Common planning patterns

Street canyons and traffic-heavy routes can feel worse than the regional reading.
Commuting often adds repeated outdoor platform or walking exposure.
Smoke events make overnight indoor air management much more important.

City planning checklist

  • Compare the morning and evening commute before committing to a long outdoor route.
  • Move intense workouts indoors when AQI trends upward.
  • Keep bedroom air cleaner on smoky days rather than focusing only on daytime exposure.

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.