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Best and Worst U.S. Cities for Air Quality
April 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM EDT
By WeatherBug's Christopher Smith
While the nation follows similar guidelines for air pollutants, not all cities fare as well throughout the year in terms of air quality. Let’s take a look at a few of the U.S. cities with the worst and the best for air quality.
Worst Cities:
- Los Angeles: While likely not a surprise, Los Angeles is consistently one of the worst cities in terms of air quality. Due to large amounts of traffic, wildfires and the air trapped below nearby mountains, the Los Angeles metro often suffers from poor air quality and pollution being trapped close to the surface.
- Phoenix: Another Southwest U.S. city that tops the list for poor air quality is Phoenix. Due to large amounts of vehicles in combination with sunshine and hot temperatures, ozone can often be produced, resulting in poor air quality.
- Seattle: The third large U.S. city with poor air quality is Seattle. Similar to Los Angles, its proximity to mountainous terrain can trap pollutants near the surface if an inversion, or a rise of temperature with height, is in place. Wildfires and industrial activity can lead to dangerously high levels of pollutants in the air.
- Honolulu, Hawaii: Isolated from much industry in nearby cities and states and thanks to its tropical breezes, Honolulu fairs quite well in terms of air quality and ranks as one of the cleanest U.S. cities.
- West Palm Beach, Fla.: Located on Florida’s Atlantic Coast, the sea breeze, flat land, and absence of wildfires usually results in clean air for this Sunshine State city.
- Burlington, Vt.: Vermont is one of the least polluted U.S. states. Surrounded by forests and with less vehicle traffic than most, Burlington, Vt., usually features clean air to head outdoors.
Source: epa.gov
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Story Image: Smog clearing in the afternoon. (NOAA Photo Library/John Neander)
