Daily report · most polluted
US air quality on 17 October 2026
San Diego California87
ModerateUS AQI
San Diego had the most polluted air of 271 US cities
Updated · AirNow
At 4:00 pm ET on 17 October 2026, 271 US cities were reporting. San Diego had the most polluted air at US AQI 87 (Moderate), followed by El Cajon (87) and Phoenix (78). The median across all cities was 27, down from 31 the day before. 0 cities were at Unhealthy or worse (4 the day before). Concord had the cleanest air at 1.
The biggest deterioration was in Pahrump, from 13 to 73. Tucson improved most, from 307 to 44.
- Good 248
- Moderate 23
10 most polluted cities
| # | City | State | US AQI | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego | California | 87Moderate | ▲ 35 |
| 2 | El Cajon | California | 87Moderate | ▼ 8 |
| 3 | Phoenix | Arizona | 78Moderate | ▼ 58 |
| 4 | Pahrump | Nevada | 73Moderate | ▲ 60 |
| 5 | Yakima | Washington | 71Moderate | ▲ 7 |
| 6 | Billings | Montana | 70Moderate | ▲ 32 |
| 7 | Bakersfield | California | 65Moderate | ▼ 10 |
| 8 | Lewiston Orchards | Idaho | 64Moderate | ▼ 4 |
| 9 | Portland | Oregon | 62Moderate | ▲ 6 |
| 10 | Yuma | Arizona | 62Moderate | ▼ 126 |
10 cleanest cities
Biggest rises
All 271 cities on 17 October 2026
| # | City | State | US AQI | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego | California | 87Moderate | ▲ 35 |
| 2 | El Cajon | California | 87Moderate | ▼ 8 |
| 3 | Phoenix | Arizona | 78Moderate | ▼ 58 |
| 4 | Pahrump | Nevada | 73Moderate | ▲ 60 |
| 5 | Yakima | Washington | 71Moderate | ▲ 7 |
| 6 | Billings | Montana | 70Moderate | ▲ 32 |
| 7 | Bakersfield | California | 65Moderate | ▼ 10 |
| 8 | Lewiston Orchards | Idaho | 64Moderate | ▼ 4 |
| 9 | Portland | Oregon | 62Moderate | ▲ 6 |
| 10 | Yuma | Arizona | 62Moderate | ▼ 126 |
| 11 | Hanford | California | 62Moderate | ▼ 62 |
| 12 | Santa Maria | California | 59Moderate | ▼ 26 |
| 13 | Fresno | California | 58Moderate | ▼ 24 |
| 14 | San Jose | California | 56Moderate | ▼ 2 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | California | 55Moderate | 0 |
| 16 | Palm Springs | California | 55Moderate | ▲ 17 |
| 17 | Tampa | Florida | 54Moderate | ▲ 24 |
| 18 | Orlando | Florida | 54Moderate | ▲ 17 |
| 19 | Wenatchee | Washington | 54Moderate | ▼ 1 |
| 20 | San Francisco | California | 52Moderate | ▼ 29 |
| 21 | San Mateo | California | 52Moderate | ▲ 1 |
| 22 | Deltona | Florida | 52Moderate | ▲ 15 |
| 23 | Rancho Palos Verdes | California | 52Moderate | 0 |
| 24 | Spokane | Washington | 49Good | ▲ 8 |
| 25 | College Station | Texas | 49Good | new |
| 26 | Denver | Colorado | 48Good | ▲ 9 |
| 27 | Anchorage | Alaska | 48Good | ▼ 16 |
| 28 | Sacramento | California | 47Good | ▼ 5 |
| 29 | Redding | California | 46Good | ▲ 5 |
| 30 | Kennewick | Washington | 46Good | ▼ 12 |
| 31 | Pullman | Washington | 45Good | ▲ 3 |
| 32 | Cheyenne | Wyoming | 44Good | ▲ 11 |
| 33 | Tucson | Arizona | 44Good | ▼ 263 |
| 34 | Colorado Springs | Colorado | 44Good | ▲ 11 |
| 35 | Gilbert | Arizona | 44Good | ▼ 116 |
| 36 | Bend | Oregon | 44Good | ▲ 22 |
| 37 | Flagstaff | Arizona | 43Good | ▲ 5 |
| 38 | Prescott Valley | Arizona | 43Good | ▼ 9 |
| 39 | Eugene | Oregon | 42Good | ▲ 4 |
| 40 | San Antonio | Texas | 41Good | ▼ 11 |
| 41 | Reno | Nevada | 41Good | 0 |
| 42 | Palm Bay | Florida | 41Good | ▲ 15 |
| 43 | Chico | California | 41Good | ▼ 10 |
| 44 | Casper | Wyoming | 41Good | ▲ 16 |
| 45 | Oxnard | California | 40Good | 0 |
| 46 | Medford | Oregon | 40Good | ▲ 4 |
| 47 | Missoula | Montana | 40Good | ▲ 7 |
| 48 | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 39Good | ▲ 6 |
| 49 | Saint George | Utah | 39Good | ▲ 4 |
| 50 | Jackson | Mississippi | 38Good | ▲ 4 |
| 51 | Coeur d'Alene | Idaho | 38Good | ▲ 3 |
| 52 | Twin Falls | Idaho | 38Good | ▼ 14 |
| 53 | Las Vegas | Nevada | 37Good | ▲ 1 |
| 54 | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 37Good | ▼ 2 |
| 55 | Provo | Utah | 37Good | ▲ 5 |
| 56 | Rio Rancho | New Mexico | 37Good | ▼ 2 |
| 57 | Pleasant Grove | Utah | 37Good | ▲ 6 |
| 58 | Marysville | Washington | 36Good | ▼ 2 |
| 59 | El Paso | Texas | 35Good | ▼ 28 |
| 60 | Rapid City | South Dakota | 35Good | ▲ 12 |
| 61 | Cedar City | Utah | 35Good | ▼ 3 |
| 62 | Reedley | California | 35Good | ▼ 7 |
| 63 | Chicago | Illinois | 34Good | ▲ 9 |
| 64 | Austin | Texas | 34Good | ▼ 3 |
| 65 | Port Huron | Michigan | 34Good | ▲ 15 |
| 66 | Salt Lake City | Utah | 33Good | ▼ 22 |
| 67 | Cleveland | Ohio | 33Good | ▲ 10 |
| 68 | Santa Fe | New Mexico | 33Good | ▼ 1 |
| 69 | Idaho Falls | Idaho | 33Good | ▼ 1 |
| 70 | Mentor | Ohio | 33Good | ▲ 14 |
| 71 | Rexburg | Idaho | 33Good | ▼ 1 |
| 72 | Salem | Oregon | 32Good | ▼ 17 |
| 73 | Detroit | Michigan | 31Good | ▲ 10 |
| 74 | Omaha | Nebraska | 31Good | 0 |
| 75 | Corpus Christi | Texas | 31Good | ▼ 33 |
| 76 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 31Good | ▲ 5 |
| 77 | Buffalo | New York | 31Good | ▲ 13 |
| 78 | Evansville | Indiana | 31Good | ▲ 12 |
| 79 | Las Cruces | New Mexico | 31Good | ▼ 37 |
| 80 | Victoria | Texas | 31Good | ▲ 8 |
| 81 | Grand Junction | Colorado | 31Good | ▼ 1 |
| 82 | Niagara Falls | New York | 31Good | ▲ 13 |
| 83 | Farmington | New Mexico | 31Good | ▼ 1 |
| 84 | Carlsbad | New Mexico | 31Good | ▼ 5 |
| 85 | Aberdeen | South Dakota | 31Good | ▲ 27 |
| 86 | Saratoga Springs | New York | 31Good | ▲ 9 |
| 87 | Kingsville | Texas | 31Good | ▲ 10 |
| 88 | Manchester | New Hampshire | 30Good | ▲ 8 |
| 89 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 30Good | ▲ 6 |
| 90 | Laredo | Texas | 30Good | ▲ 5 |
| 91 | South Bend | Indiana | 30Good | ▲ 7 |
| 92 | Albany | New York | 30Good | ▲ 11 |
| 93 | Bellingham | Washington | 30Good | ▼ 9 |
| 94 | Bozeman | Montana | 30Good | ▲ 11 |
| 95 | Mankato | Minnesota | 30Good | ▲ 7 |
| 96 | Houma | Louisiana | 30Good | ▼ 37 |
| 97 | Aiken | South Carolina | 30Good | ▼ 43 |
| 98 | Columbus | Ohio | 29Good | ▲ 10 |
| 99 | Wichita | Kansas | 29Good | ▲ 5 |
| 100 | Jacksonville | Florida | 29Good | ▼ 11 |
| 101 | Toledo | Ohio | 29Good | ▲ 10 |
| 102 | Rochester | Minnesota | 29Good | ▲ 6 |
| 103 | Flint | Michigan | 29Good | ▲ 2 |
| 104 | Champaign | Illinois | 29Good | ▲ 7 |
| 105 | Saint Cloud | Minnesota | 29Good | ▲ 2 |
| 106 | Lorain | Ohio | 29Good | ▲ 18 |
| 107 | Myrtle Beach | South Carolina | 29Good | ▼ 14 |
| 108 | Parkersburg | West Virginia | 29Good | ▲ 10 |
| 109 | Morgantown | West Virginia | 29Good | ▲ 3 |
| 110 | Elmira | New York | 29Good | ▲ 3 |
| 111 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 28Good | ▲ 5 |
| 112 | Houston | Texas | 28Good | ▼ 11 |
| 113 | Boise | Idaho | 28Good | ▼ 6 |
| 114 | Seattle | Washington | 28Good | ▼ 38 |
| 115 | Fort Wayne | Indiana | 28Good | ▲ 10 |
| 116 | Rochester | New York | 28Good | ▲ 9 |
| 117 | Mobile | Alabama | 28Good | ▼ 8 |
| 118 | Syracuse | New York | 28Good | ▲ 12 |
| 119 | Lansing | Michigan | 28Good | ▲ 6 |
| 120 | Lafayette | Indiana | 28Good | ▼ 6 |
| 121 | Minot | North Dakota | 28Good | ▲ 6 |
| 122 | Altoona | Pennsylvania | 28Good | ▲ 2 |
| 123 | Hobbs | New Mexico | 28Good | ▼ 4 |
| 124 | Weatherford | Texas | 28Good | ▼ 1 |
| 125 | Portland | Maine | 27Good | ▲ 1 |
| 126 | Des Moines | Iowa | 27Good | ▲ 8 |
| 127 | Atlanta | Georgia | 27Good | ▼ 39 |
| 128 | Charleston | West Virginia | 27Good | ▼ 26 |
| 129 | Washington, D.C. | District of Columbia | 27Good | ▼ 31 |
| 130 | Birmingham | Alabama | 27Good | ▼ 28 |
| 131 | Memphis | Tennessee | 27Good | 0 |
| 132 | New Orleans | Louisiana | 27Good | ▼ 14 |
| 133 | Nashville | Tennessee | 27Good | ▲ 6 |
| 134 | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 27Good | ▲ 4 |
| 135 | St. Louis | Missouri | 27Good | ▲ 1 |
| 136 | Huntsville | Alabama | 27Good | ▼ 39 |
| 137 | Springfield | Missouri | 27Good | ▲ 4 |
| 138 | Gainesville | Florida | 27Good | ▼ 11 |
| 139 | Erie | Pennsylvania | 27Good | ▲ 18 |
| 140 | Duluth | Minnesota | 27Good | ▲ 4 |
| 141 | Lake Charles | Louisiana | 27Good | ▼ 10 |
| 142 | Waterloo | Iowa | 27Good | 0 |
| 143 | Port Arthur | Texas | 27Good | ▼ 21 |
| 144 | Southaven | Mississippi | 27Good | 0 |
| 145 | Harrisonburg | Virginia | 27Good | ▼ 26 |
| 146 | Collierville | Tennessee | 27Good | 0 |
| 147 | Augusta | Georgia | 27Good | ▼ 41 |
| 148 | State College | Pennsylvania | 27Good | 0 |
| 149 | Muskegon | Michigan | 27Good | ▲ 6 |
| 150 | Panama City | Florida | 27Good | ▼ 6 |
| 151 | Navarre | Florida | 27Good | ▼ 11 |
| 152 | Redmond | Oregon | 27Good | ▲ 9 |
| 153 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 26Good | ▼ 4 |
| 154 | Sioux Falls | South Dakota | 26Good | 0 |
| 155 | Ironville | Kentucky | 26Good | ▲ 2 |
| 156 | Louisville | Kentucky | 26Good | 0 |
| 157 | Montgomery | Alabama | 26Good | ▼ 41 |
| 158 | Columbus | Georgia | 26Good | ▼ 33 |
| 159 | Fort Lauderdale | Florida | 26Good | ▼ 3 |
| 160 | Waco | Texas | 26Good | ▼ 4 |
| 161 | Peoria | Illinois | 26Good | ▲ 9 |
| 162 | Davenport | Iowa | 26Good | ▲ 10 |
| 163 | Fort Smith | Arkansas | 26Good | 0 |
| 164 | Auburn | Alabama | 26Good | ▼ 16 |
| 165 | Bartlesville | Oklahoma | 26Good | ▲ 6 |
| 166 | Bangor | Maine | 26Good | ▲ 5 |
| 167 | Kahului | Hawaii | 26Good | ▲ 9 |
| 168 | Pleasure Ridge Park | Kentucky | 26Good | 0 |
| 169 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 25Good | ▼ 39 |
| 170 | Lincoln | Nebraska | 25Good | ▼ 1 |
| 171 | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 25Good | ▼ 25 |
| 172 | Fayetteville | North Carolina | 25Good | ▼ 36 |
| 173 | Tallahassee | Florida | 25Good | ▼ 12 |
| 174 | Rockford | Illinois | 25Good | ▲ 6 |
| 175 | Joliet | Illinois | 25Good | ▲ 8 |
| 176 | Dayton | Ohio | 25Good | ▲ 7 |
| 177 | Topeka | Kansas | 25Good | ▲ 1 |
| 178 | Norman | Oklahoma | 25Good | ▲ 2 |
| 179 | Allentown | Pennsylvania | 25Good | ▼ 11 |
| 180 | Columbia | Maryland | 25Good | ▼ 27 |
| 181 | Tuscaloosa | Alabama | 25Good | ▼ 17 |
| 182 | Sioux City | Iowa | 25Good | ▼ 1 |
| 183 | Gulfport | Mississippi | 25Good | ▼ 16 |
| 184 | Bismarck | North Dakota | 25Good | ▲ 1 |
| 185 | Joplin | Missouri | 25Good | ▲ 7 |
| 186 | Quincy | Illinois | 25Good | ▲ 11 |
| 187 | Annapolis | Maryland | 25Good | ▼ 1 |
| 188 | Boston | Massachusetts | 24Good | ▼ 3 |
| 189 | New York City | New York | 24Good | ▼ 29 |
| 190 | Kansas City | Missouri | 24Good | ▲ 1 |
| 191 | Baltimore | Maryland | 24Good | ▼ 28 |
| 192 | Columbia | South Carolina | 24Good | ▼ 48 |
| 193 | Dallas | Texas | 24Good | ▼ 6 |
| 194 | Overland Park | Kansas | 24Good | ▲ 1 |
| 195 | Cape Coral | Florida | 24Good | ▼ 3 |
| 196 | Savannah | Georgia | 24Good | ▼ 29 |
| 197 | McAllen | Texas | 24Good | ▼ 9 |
| 198 | Cedar Rapids | Iowa | 24Good | ▲ 9 |
| 199 | Beaumont | Texas | 24Good | ▼ 17 |
| 200 | Athens | Georgia | 24Good | ▼ 51 |
| 201 | Tyler | Texas | 24Good | ▼ 5 |
| 202 | The Woodlands | Texas | 24Good | ▼ 5 |
| 203 | Asheville | North Carolina | 24Good | ▼ 28 |
| 204 | Lehigh Acres | Florida | 24Good | ▼ 3 |
| 205 | Jefferson City | Missouri | 24Good | ▲ 7 |
| 206 | Cape Girardeau | Missouri | 24Good | ▲ 5 |
| 207 | Carbondale | Illinois | 24Good | ▲ 5 |
| 208 | Bridgeport | Connecticut | 23Good | ▼ 6 |
| 209 | Newark | New Jersey | 23Good | ▼ 29 |
| 210 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 23Good | ▼ 33 |
| 211 | Wilmington | Delaware | 23Good | ▼ 31 |
| 212 | Lexington-Fayette | Kentucky | 23Good | ▲ 4 |
| 213 | Raleigh | North Carolina | 23Good | ▼ 47 |
| 214 | Shreveport | Louisiana | 23Good | ▼ 7 |
| 215 | Columbia | Missouri | 23Good | ▲ 8 |
| 216 | Kingsport | Tennessee | 23Good | ▼ 21 |
| 217 | Winchester | Virginia | 23Good | ▼ 28 |
| 218 | Providence | Rhode Island | 22Good | ▼ 3 |
| 219 | Fargo | North Dakota | 22Good | ▼ 2 |
| 220 | Virginia Beach | Virginia | 22Good | ▼ 48 |
| 221 | Honolulu | Hawaii | 22Good | ▲ 3 |
| 222 | Cincinnati | Ohio | 22Good | ▲ 1 |
| 223 | Springfield | Illinois | 22Good | ▲ 1 |
| 224 | Lawrence | Kansas | 22Good | ▲ 3 |
| 225 | Greenville | South Carolina | 22Good | ▼ 41 |
| 226 | Hilo | Hawaii | 22Good | ▼ 21 |
| 227 | San Luis | Arizona | 22Good | ▼ 166 |
| 228 | Greenville | Texas | 22Good | ▼ 5 |
| 229 | Worcester | Massachusetts | 21Good | ▼ 3 |
| 230 | Brownsville | Texas | 21Good | ▼ 23 |
| 231 | Lynchburg | Virginia | 21Good | ▼ 10 |
| 232 | North Kingstown | Rhode Island | 21Good | ▼ 6 |
| 233 | Greensboro | North Carolina | 20Good | ▼ 43 |
| 234 | Richmond | Virginia | 20Good | ▼ 42 |
| 235 | Monroe | Louisiana | 20Good | ▼ 3 |
| 236 | Middletown | Connecticut | 20Good | ▼ 9 |
| 237 | Little Rock | Arkansas | 19Good | ▼ 3 |
| 238 | Miami | Florida | 19Good | ▼ 7 |
| 239 | Knoxville | Tennessee | 19Good | ▼ 44 |
| 240 | Wilmington | North Carolina | 19Good | ▼ 47 |
| 241 | Roanoke | Virginia | 19Good | ▼ 34 |
| 242 | Greenville | North Carolina | 19Good | ▼ 24 |
| 243 | Albany | Georgia | 19Good | ▼ 20 |
| 244 | Conway | Arkansas | 19Good | ▼ 3 |
| 245 | Bowling Green | Kentucky | 19Good | ▼ 4 |
| 246 | Sumter | South Carolina | 19Good | ▼ 13 |
| 247 | Chattanooga | Tennessee | 18Good | ▼ 54 |
| 248 | Hattiesburg | Mississippi | 18Good | ▼ 34 |
| 249 | Cleveland | Tennessee | 18Good | ▼ 29 |
| 250 | Fairbanks | Alaska | 18Good | ▼ 58 |
| 251 | Eau Claire | Wisconsin | 17Good | ▲ 11 |
| 252 | Eureka | California | 15Good | ▼ 54 |
| 253 | Charleston | South Carolina | 12Good | ▼ 42 |
| 254 | Butte | Montana | 12Good | ▼ 1 |
| 255 | Ridgecrest | California | 12Good | ▼ 2 |
| 256 | Appleton | Wisconsin | 11Good | new |
| 257 | Gillette | Wyoming | 11Good | ▼ 11 |
| 258 | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 9Good | ▲ 1 |
| 259 | Amarillo | Texas | 9Good | ▼ 5 |
| 260 | Green Bay | Wisconsin | 9Good | new |
| 261 | Pocatello | Idaho | 9Good | ▼ 5 |
| 262 | Lubbock | Texas | 8Good | new |
| 263 | Midland | Texas | 8Good | ▼ 11 |
| 264 | Dubuque | Iowa | 7Good | ▲ 1 |
| 265 | Burlington | Vermont | 6Good | 0 |
| 266 | Madison | Wisconsin | 6Good | ▼ 2 |
| 267 | Florence | Alabama | 6Good | new |
| 268 | Juneau | Alaska | 6Good | ▼ 6 |
| 269 | Kingman | Arizona | 6Good | ▼ 10 |
| 270 | Findlay | Ohio | 3Good | ▲ 2 |
| 271 | Concord | New Hampshire | 1Good | ▼ 21 |
Snapshot taken at 4:00 pm ET from US EPA AirNow. Values are the latest hourly readings at that time, not daily averages. Cities with no reading are left out.