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Bakersfield air right now

GoodAQI 50

Bakersfield’s five-day smoke forecast shows the current index and the clearest time ahead.

50
AQI now
9
PM2.5 · µg/m³
2 cleaner spots within 3 hr drive

Where are you?

Search covers Canada and the United States.

The better move within a 3-hour drive

Dates

Dates follow you into hotel searches. Live inventory is confirmed by the provider.

Ojai looks like the better move.56% cleaner air with a verified 2 h 35 min road trip. Rankings balance cleaner air with trip ease.

Every town is also available in the ranked list.
Bakersfield Clean · PM2.5 0–5 Good · 5–9 Elevated · 9–15 Polluted · 15–35 Unhealthy · 35–55 Severe · 55+
Top pick
Three Rivers
Cel-shaded illustration of Three Rivers
AQI 39
#1Three RiversChecking road route

California· Good

Foothill gateway to Sequoia and Kings Canyon, on the Kaweah River above the San Joaquin Valley.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 7 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 7/22 × 7 = 2.2 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
22% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Sequoia and Kings Canyon - Ash Mountain monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Fresno
Cel-shaded illustration of Fresno
AQI 53
#2Fresno~2 h drive

California· Moderate

A major California city with broad lodging options and live air-quality readings for comparison when smoke shifts across the region.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 10 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 10/22 × 7 = 3.2 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
11% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Fresno-Foundry Park monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Lamont
Cel-shaded illustration of Lamont
AQI unavailable
#3LamontChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Arvin
Cel-shaded illustration of Arvin
AQI unavailable
#4ArvinChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Shafter
Cel-shaded illustration of Shafter
AQI unavailable
#5ShafterChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Wasco
Cel-shaded illustration of Wasco
AQI unavailable
#6WascoChecking road route

California

California community with a separate live air reading for regional smoke comparisons.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
McFarland
Cel-shaded illustration of McFarland
AQI unavailable
#7McFarlandChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Bear Valley Springs
Cel-shaded illustration of Bear Valley Springs
AQI unavailable
#8Bear Valley SpringsChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Stallion Springs
Cel-shaded illustration of Stallion Springs
AQI unavailable
#9Stallion SpringsChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Taft
Cel-shaded illustration of Taft
AQI unavailable
#10TaftChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Richgrove
Cel-shaded illustration of Richgrove
AQI unavailable
#11RichgroveChecking road route

California

California community with a cached air reading available when it appears in a nearby escape search.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Delano
Cel-shaded illustration of Delano
AQI unavailable
#12DelanoChecking road route

California

California community with a separate live air reading for regional smoke comparisons.

Air comparison pending.

Air comparison pendingChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

PM2.5 is modelled for this town.

Directions
Paso Robles
Cel-shaded illustration of Paso Robles
AQI 11
#13Paso RoblesChecking road route

California· Good

Central Coast wine town on the Salinas River, higher and drier than the coast with a broad hotel base.

78% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

7 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Bakersfield right now

78% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Atascadero monitor.

Directions
Wrightwood
Cel-shaded illustration of Wrightwood
AQI 21
#14Wrightwood~2 h 55 min drive

California· Good

Small mountain town in the San Gabriels near 6,000 feet, a cool forested reset above the LA basin, with cabins and a compact main street.

58% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3.8 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3.8/22 × 7 = 1.2 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

5.2 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Bakersfield right now

58% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Glendora - Laurel monitor.

Directions
Ojai
Cel-shaded illustration of Ojai
AQI 22
#15Ojai~2 h 35 min drive

California· Good

Mountain-ringed Ventura County valley that draws cool marine air inland from the nearby coast, dotted with boutique inns and spas.

56% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 4 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4/22 × 7 = 1.3 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Bakersfield right now

56% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Ojai - Ojai Ave. monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Morro Bay
Cel-shaded illustration of Morro Bay
AQI 39
#16Morro BayChecking road route

California· Good

Fishing town beside a volcanic-rock harbor, swept by constant onshore Pacific wind, with motels.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 7 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 7/22 × 7 = 2.2 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
22% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Morro Bay monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Cayucos
Cel-shaded illustration of Cayucos
AQI 39
#17CayucosChecking road route

California· Good

Small Central Coast beach town north of Morro Bay, cooled by steady onshore Pacific wind.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 7 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 7/22 × 7 = 2.2 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
22% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Morro Bay monitor.

Directions
Willits
Cel-shaded illustration of Willits
AQI 4
#18WillitsChecking road route

California· Good

Mendocino County valley town on Highway 101, higher and cooler than the coast with motels.

92% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 0.7 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 0.7/22 × 7 = 0.2 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.3 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Bakersfield right now

92% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Willits Blosser Lane monitor.

Directions
Sonora
Cel-shaded illustration of Sonora
AQI 6
#19SonoraChecking road route

California· Good

Gold Rush county seat in the Sierra foothills, set higher than the Central Valley with a historic Main Street.

89% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 1 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 1/22 × 7 = 0.3 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Bakersfield right now

89% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the San Andreas monitor.

Directions
Murphys
Cel-shaded illustration of Murphys
AQI 6
#20MurphysChecking road route

California· Good

Calaveras County Gold Rush village with a wine-tasting Main Street, above the Central Valley haze.

89% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 1 µg/m³ here vs 9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 1/22 × 7 = 0.3 here; 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Bakersfield right now

89% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the San Andreas monitor.

Directions
Bad week ahead? Check the 7-day outlook — if it won’t clear, book the trip

7-day outlook

Plan the next seven days

Pick a day, or compare the whole week. Weather is forecast; air quality is the latest available reading.

Loading the week…

Finding the nicest days and reachable cities.

Observed Aug 23, 5:00 p.m. EDTLast scan Aug 23, 6:27 p.m. EDT · 49 min ago

Why live rankings? Smoke plumes are patchy and shift with the wind, so no direction is reliably cleaner. This list is recalculated from live PM2.5 every hour — and if everything nearby is smoky, it says so.

How we work this out →

Browse all 200 cities by province & state →

More air-quality pages in California →
Anaheim air qualityChico air qualityFresno air qualityLos Angeles air qualityModesto air qualityRedding air qualityRiverside air qualitySacramento air qualitySan Bernardino air qualitySan Diego air qualitySan Francisco air qualitySan Jose air qualityStockton air quality
Air quality in nearby cities →
Las Vegas air qualityHenderson air qualityReno air qualityYuma air qualityPhoenix air qualityMesa air qualityTucson air qualityMedford air qualityProvo air qualitySalt Lake City air qualityOgden air qualityBoise air quality

What this means · Bakersfield

Good

AQI 50

AQI = Air Quality Index

Typical person. Air quality is satisfactory for most outdoor plans.

Kids, seniors, heart or lung conditions. Unusually sensitive people can still enjoy the outdoors.

The AQI on this page follows fine particles (PM2.5). Particles here are 9 µg/m³ (Elevated), so the headline and the particle scale below tell the same story.

Act two · Fine particles only

Where PM2.5 lands

This bar is smoke and fine particles (PM2.5) only. Left is cleaner air; right is heavier particle pollution. Today's particles sit in Elevated.

9 µg/m³
Clean · 0Smoky · 40Severe · 80+

Act three · Particle ladder

What each PM2.5 rung feels like

  • 0–3µg/m³Natural. About as clean as outdoor air realistically gets.
  • 3–5µg/m³Clean. Crisp, destination-worthy air.
  • 5–9µg/m³Good. Clean city air; most people will not notice anything today.
  • 9–15µg/m³Elevated. Usually no big deal today; sensitive lungs may notice hard exercise.
  • 15–35µg/m³Polluted. Smoke or traffic pollution is now worth acting on.
  • 35–55µg/m³Unhealthy. Symptoms become more likely, especially with asthma or heart disease.
  • 55+µg/m³Severe. Everyone should reduce exposure and clean the indoor air.

Act four · Felt number

Cigarettes a week

A secondary feel for the particle load only — not a medical claim, and not a substitute for AQI.

2.9/wk

What is PM2.5?

Fine particles about 30× thinner than a human hair — small enough to slip through your lungs and into your bloodstream. We measure them inµg/m³: micrograms of particle mass in a cubic metre of air.

The math

PM2.5 here is 9 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 9/22 × 7 = 2.9 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →