PM2.5 is 4.3 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 4.3/22 × 0.5 = 0.1 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 20.1 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 4.9 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 4.9/22 × 0.5 = 0.1 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 19.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 5.7 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 5.7/22 × 0.5 = 0.1 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 18.7 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 7.2 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 7.2/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 17.2 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 7.4 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 7.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 17 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 8.5 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 8.5/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 15.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 9.7 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 9.7/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 14.7 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 9.7 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 9.7/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 14.7 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 10.5 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 10.5/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 13.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 10.9 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 10.9/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 13.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 11.5 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 11.5/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 12.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 11.5 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 11.5/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 12.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 12.3 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 12.3/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 12.1 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 12.5 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 12.5/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 11.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 13.4 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 11 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 17.1 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 17.1/22 × 0.5 = 0.4 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
▼ 7.3 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now
PM2.5 is 23.2 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 23.2/22 × 0.5 = 0.5 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
PM2.5 is 24.2 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 24.2/22 × 0.5 = 0.5 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
PM2.5 is 24.3 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 24.3/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
PM2.5 is 30.6 µg/m³ here vs 24.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 30.6/22 × 0.5 = 0.7 here; 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
Some particle pollutionLatest observation Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT
Build-time readings shown
Air quality · Chicago
Phew. Twelve hours out here is roughlyPM2.5 here is 24.4 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h outside ≈ 24.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.6 cigarettes.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
That is the fine-particle pollution you'd breathe standing outside all day inChicago right now, turned into a number your body already understands.
A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking: Berkeley Earth puts a full day at 22 µg/m³ of PM2.5 at about one cigarette.How we work this out
Why live rankings?
Smoke plumes are patchy and move with changing winds, terrain and weather. Nearby lakefront, coastal and higher-elevation places can be much clearer than Chicago, but no direction is reliably cleaner. That is why this list is recalculated from live PM2.5 readings every hour instead of publishing a fixed escape route. If everything within three hours is smoky, the rankings will say so. Sometimes the honest answer is to stay inside with a filter running.