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Columbia air right now

ModerateAQI 60

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

60
AQI now
13.9
PM2.5 · µg/m³
3 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.

Charlotte looks like the better move.53% cleaner air with a verified 1 h 50 min road trip. Rankings balance cleaner air with trip ease.

Every town is also available in the ranked list.
Columbia Clean · PM2.5 0–5 Good · 5–9 Elevated · 9–15 Polluted · 15–35 Unhealthy · 35–55 Severe · 55+
Top pick
Greenwood
Cel-shaded illustration of Greenwood
AQI 36
#1GreenwoodChecking road route

South Carolina· Good

South Carolina community with lodging and a separate live air reading for regional smoke comparisons.

54% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 6.4 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.4/22 × 7 = 2.0 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

7.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

54% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 6:27 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is estimated for this town.

Directions
Charlotte
Cel-shaded illustration of Charlotte
AQI 37
#2Charlotte~1 h 50 min drive

North Carolina· Good

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

53% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 6.6 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.6/22 × 7 = 2.1 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

7.3 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

53% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Remount monitor.

Directions
Greenville
Cel-shaded illustration of Greenville
AQI 45
#3Greenville~2 h drive

South Carolina· Good

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

42% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 8.1 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8.1/22 × 7 = 2.6 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

5.8 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

42% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Greenville-ESC monitor.

Directions
Sumter
Cel-shaded illustration of Sumter
AQI 53
#4SumterChecking road route

South Carolina· Moderate

South Carolina community with lodging and a separate live air reading for regional smoke comparisons.

26% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 10.3 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 10.3/22 × 7 = 3.3 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

3.6 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

26% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 6:27 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is estimated for this town.

Directions
Still smoky
Augusta
Cel-shaded illustration of Augusta
AQI 60
#5Augusta~1 h 30 min drive

Georgia· Moderate

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

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 13.7 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 13.7/22 × 7 = 4.4 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
1% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Augusta monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Aiken
Cel-shaded illustration of Aiken
AQI 61
#6AikenChecking road route

South Carolina· Moderate

South Carolina community with lodging and a separate live air reading for regional smoke comparisons.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 14.2 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 14.2/22 × 7 = 4.5 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
2% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Trenton monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Florence
Cel-shaded illustration of Florence
AQI 62
#7FlorenceChecking road route

South Carolina· Moderate

South Carolina community with lodging and a separate live air reading for regional smoke comparisons.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 15 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 15/22 × 7 = 4.8 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
8% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Williams Middle School monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
South Congaree
Cel-shaded illustration of South Congaree
AQI unavailable
#8South CongareeChecking road route

South Carolina

South Carolina 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
Irmo
Cel-shaded illustration of Irmo
AQI unavailable
#9IrmoChecking road route

South Carolina

South Carolina 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
Hopkins
Cel-shaded illustration of Hopkins
AQI unavailable
#10HopkinsChecking road route

South Carolina

South Carolina 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
Lexington
Cel-shaded illustration of Lexington
AQI unavailable
#11LexingtonChecking road route

South Carolina

South Carolina 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
Red Bank
Cel-shaded illustration of Red Bank
AQI unavailable
#12Red BankChecking road route

South Carolina

South Carolina 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
Lake Lure
Cel-shaded illustration of Lake Lure
AQI 17
#13Lake LureChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

Mountain-ringed lake resort in the Hickory Nut Gorge, with open-water air and lakeside lodges.

78% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3/22 × 7 = 1.0 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

10.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

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

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

PM2.5 from the BDED monitor.

Directions
Chimney Rock
Cel-shaded illustration of Chimney Rock
AQI 17
#14Chimney RockChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

Village beneath a granite monolith in the Hickory Nut Gorge, a small mountain base with cabins and inns.

78% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3/22 × 7 = 1.0 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

10.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

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

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

PM2.5 from the BDED monitor.

Directions
Tryon
Cel-shaded illustration of Tryon
AQI 29
#15TryonChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

Foothills equestrian town on the Blue Ridge escarpment, cooler than the Piedmont with inns and B&Bs.

62% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 5.3 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.3/22 × 7 = 1.7 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.6 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

62% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 6:12 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is estimated for this town.

Directions
Saluda
Cel-shaded illustration of Saluda
AQI 29
#16SaludaChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

Small Blue Ridge escarpment town on the old Saluda Grade, with cool elevation air and a handful of inns.

62% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 5.3 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.3/22 × 7 = 1.7 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.6 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

62% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 6:12 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is estimated for this town.

Directions
Beaufort
Cel-shaded illustration of Beaufort
AQI 37
#17Beaufort~2 h 40 min drive

South Carolina· Good

Lowcountry town among the sea islands between Charleston and Savannah, cooled by tidal marine air, with historic inns.

53% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 6.6 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.6/22 × 7 = 2.1 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

7.3 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

53% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 6:12 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is estimated for this town.

Directions
Banner Elk
Cel-shaded illustration of Banner Elk
AQI 11
#18Banner ElkChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

High-country ski town near 3,700 feet between Grandfather and Beech mountains, with cool alpine air.

86% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

11.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

86% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Spruce Pine monitor.

Directions
Pigeon Forge
Cel-shaded illustration of Pigeon Forge
AQI 11
#19Pigeon Forge~4 h 50 min drive

Tennessee· Good

Smoky Mountains resort town just below Gatlinburg, set in the foothills with a huge stock of hotels and cabins.

86% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

11.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

86% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the MARYVILL monitor.

Directions
Hendersonville
Cel-shaded illustration of Hendersonville
AQI 17
#20HendersonvilleChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

Blue Ridge foothills town south of Asheville, with orchard country around it and a walkable Main Street of inns.

78% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3 µg/m³ here vs 13.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3/22 × 7 = 1.0 here; 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

10.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Columbia right now

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

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

PM2.5 from the BDED 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 South Carolina →
Charleston air qualityGreenville air quality
Air quality in nearby cities →
Augusta air qualityCharlotte air qualityWinston-Salem air qualityGreensboro air qualityRaleigh air qualityDurham air qualityAtlanta air qualityKnoxville air qualityJacksonville air qualityTallahassee air qualityRichmond air qualityMontgomery air quality

What this means · Columbia

Moderate

AQI 60

AQI = Air Quality Index

Typical person. Most people can stay active outside.

Kids, seniors, heart or lung conditions. Unusually sensitive people should consider shorter or easier outdoor effort.

The AQI on this page follows fine particles (PM2.5). Particles here are 13.9 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.

13.9 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.

4.4/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 13.9 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 13.9/22 × 7 = 4.4 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →