Chicago: Air Pollution Today — AQI Index, PM2.5/PM10, Smog Alerts and Forecast

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Latest air quality data: Chicago
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Pollution and air quality forecast for Chicago. Today is Thursday, August 27, 2026. The following air pollution values have been recorded for Chicago:
  1. particulate matter (PM2.5) dust - 10 (Good)
  2. particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust - 10 (Good)
  3. ozone (O3) - 69 (Good)
  4. nitrogen dioxide (NO2) - 19 (Good)
  5. sulfur dioxide (SO2) - 2 (Good)
  6. carbon monoxide (CO) - 188 (Good)
Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) for Chicago, Wednesday, August 26, 2026: 1.

air quality index: 0
AQI 1 Good

What is the air quality in Chicago today? Is the air polluted in Chicago?. Is there smog?

Today (Wednesday, August 26, 2026) air quality is good. The air quality has no effect on health. Everyone can continue their outdoor activities normally in Chicago.


What is the current level of PM2.5 in Chicago? (particulate matter (PM2.5) dust)
Today's PM2.5 level is: 10 (Good) For comparison, the highest level of PM2.5 in Chicago in the last 7 days was: 19 (Friday, August 21, 2026) and the lowest: 7 (Thursday, August 20, 2026).

What is the level of PM10 today in Chicago? (particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust)
The current level of particulate matter PM10 in Chicago is: 10 (Good)

How is the O3 level today in Chicago? (ozone (O3))
69 (Good)

How high is the level of NO2? (nitrogen dioxide (NO2))
19 (Good)

What is the level of SO2 pollution? (sulfur dioxide (SO2))
2 (Good)

How high is the CO level? (carbon monoxide (CO))
188 (Good)



Current data Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM

PM2,5 10 (Good)

PM10 10 (Good)

O3 69 (Good)

NO2 19 (Good)

SO2 2 (Good)

CO 188 (Good)

Data on air pollution from recent days in Chicago

index 2026-08-26 2026-08-25 2026-08-24 2026-08-23 2026-08-22 2026-08-21 2026-08-20 2026-08-19
pm25 9
Good		 14
Moderate		 10
Good		 13
Moderate		 9
Good		 19
Moderate		 7
Good		 9
Good
pm10 9
Good		 14
Good		 10
Good		 13
Good		 9
Good		 19
Good		 7
Good		 9
Good
o3 77
Moderate		 77
Moderate		 65
Good		 60
Good		 80
Moderate		 83
Moderate		 92
Moderate		 77
Moderate
no2 15
Good		 23
Good		 18
Good		 11
Good		 9
Good		 27
Good		 10
Good		 10
Good
so2 2
Good		 5
Good		 2
Good		 1
Good		 1
Good		 4
Good		 2
Good		 2
Good
co 176
Good		 247
Good		 182
Good		 172
Good		 167
Good		 251
Good		 157
Good		 174
Good
data source »

Chicago

Wednesday, August 26, 2026 at 8:00 PM

PM2,5 9.8 (Good)

particulate matter (PM2.5) dust

PM10 10 (Good)

particulate matter (PM10) suspended dust

O3 69 (Good)

ozone (O3)

NO2 19 (Good)

nitrogen dioxide (NO2)

SO2 1.6 (Good)

sulfur dioxide (SO2)

CO 188 (Good)

carbon monoxide (CO)

Chicago

index 2026-08-19 2026-08-20 2026-08-21 2026-08-22 2026-08-23 2026-08-24 2026-08-25 2026-08-26
pm25 9.1 6.8 19 8.7 13 10 14 8.6
pm10 9.3 7.1 19 8.9 13 10 14 8.8
o3 77 92 83 80 60 65 77 77
no2 10 9.6 27 8.5 11 18 23 15
so2 1.7 1.7 4.3 1.3 1.1 1.9 5.3 2.3
co 174 157 251 167 172 182 247 176

* Pollution data source: https://openaq.org () The data is licensed under CC-By 4.0

🌦️ Weather · 16-day Forecast — United States

🌦️ WEATHER · 16-DAY FORECASTUnited States🌧️28°RainToday · ↑30° ↓19°💨 7 km/h · 💧 66%Mon24.08🌧️30°19°Tue25.08🌤️32°21°Wed26.08🌧️33°23°Thu27.08☁️36°20°Fri28.08☀️38°19°Sat29.08🌤️40°20°Sun30.08🌧️42°21°Mon31.08🌧️42°29°Tue1.09🌧️41°24°Wed2.09☀️41°26°Thu3.09☀️40°28°Fri4.09🌧️39°28°Sat5.09🌧️24°21°Sun6.09🌧️36°20°Mon7.09☀️39°25°Tue8.09🌧️39°23°pollution-alert.com · August 27, 2026

16-day weather forecast for United States: today around 30°C (rain), lows near 19°C. Daily temperature and conditions, updated every day. Strong wind (about 25 km/h) is actively clearing smog and dust away.

☀️ UV Index · 16-day Forecast — United States

☀️ UV INDEX · 16-DAY FORECASTUnited States03681111+7.3UV HIGHtoday, day maxSPF 30-50, hat and sunglasses are a must. Better tostay in the shade 11:00-15:00.⏱ Unprotected fair skin can burn in about 25 min7Wed26.087Thu27.087Fri28.087Sat29.087Sun30.087Mon31.087Tue1.097Wed2.092Thu3.095Fri4.098Sat5.096Sun6.097Mon7.095Tue8.097Wed9.097Thu10.090-2 low3-5 moderate6-7 high8-10 very high11+ extremepollution-alert.com · August 27, 2026

The UV index in United States today is 7.3 (high) — unprotected fair skin can burn in about 25 minutes.

📍 Air quality in nearby cities

Live PM2.5 around Chicago — compare nearby locations.

Frequently asked questions

Is the air safe to breathe in Chicago today?
The current average PM2.5 across Chicago is about 10 µg/m³, rated “Good”. Air quality is good — outdoor activities are fine for everyone.
What is the current PM2.5 level in Chicago?
Right now PM2.5 in Chicago averages about 10 µg/m³ (“Good”). PM2.5 are fine particles small enough to reach the lungs and bloodstream.
Which day last week had the worst air in Chicago?
Over the past week, the highest daily PM2.5 in Chicago was recorded on Friday, August 21 (about 19 µg/m³).
What is the UV index in Chicago today?
The UV index in Chicago today is 7.3 (high) — unprotected fair skin can burn in about 25 minutes.
Does today's wind help disperse smog in Chicago?
Strong wind (about 25 km/h) is actively clearing smog and dust away.
How is air quality measured?
Air quality here is based on PM2.5 — the concentration of fine particulate matter in µg/m³. Lower values mean cleaner air. Data is updated daily from Open-Meteo.