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Greensboro air right now

GoodAQI 36

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

36
AQI now
6.5
PM2.5 · µg/m³
Look farther for cleaner air

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.

You may already have the cleanest nearby air.No meaningfully cleaner place has a verified road route within 3 hours. Widen the range or show worse air for context.

Every town is also available in the ranked list.
Greensboro Clean · PM2.5 0–5 Good · 5–9 Elevated · 9–15 Polluted · 15–35 Unhealthy · 35–55 Severe · 55+
Top pick
Durham
Cel-shaded illustration of Durham
AQI 32
#1Durham~1 h 10 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.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.7 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.7/22 × 7 = 1.8 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
12% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Durham Armory monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Charlotte
Cel-shaded illustration of Charlotte
AQI 37
#2Charlotte~1 h 45 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.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 6.6 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.6/22 × 7 = 2.1 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 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 Remount monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Raleigh
Cel-shaded illustration of Raleigh
AQI 38
#3Raleigh~1 h 35 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.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 6.9 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
6% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Millbrook NCore monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Winston-Salem
Cel-shaded illustration of Winston-Salem
AQI 44
#4Winston-Salem~35 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.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 8 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8/22 × 7 = 2.5 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
23% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Hattie Avenue monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Jamestown
Cel-shaded illustration of Jamestown
AQI unavailable
#5JamestownChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
Summerfield
Cel-shaded illustration of Summerfield
AQI unavailable
#6SummerfieldChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
Oak Ridge
Cel-shaded illustration of Oak Ridge
AQI unavailable
#7Oak RidgeChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
Gibsonville
Cel-shaded illustration of Gibsonville
AQI unavailable
#8GibsonvilleChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
High Point
Cel-shaded illustration of High Point
AQI unavailable
#9High PointChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
Archdale
Cel-shaded illustration of Archdale
AQI unavailable
#10ArchdaleChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
Stokesdale
Cel-shaded illustration of Stokesdale
AQI unavailable
#11StokesdaleChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
Kernersville
Cel-shaded illustration of Kernersville
AQI unavailable
#12KernersvilleChecking road route

North Carolina

North 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
Banner Elk
Cel-shaded illustration of Banner Elk
AQI 11
#13Banner ElkChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

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

69% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

4.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Greensboro right now

69% 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
Still smoky
Lexington
Cel-shaded illustration of Lexington
AQI 24
#14LexingtonChecking road route

Virginia· Good

Shenandoah Valley college town set between two mountain ranges, with a compact base of inns and B&Bs.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 4.3 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4.3/22 × 7 = 1.4 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

2.2 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Greensboro right now

34% 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
Still smoky
Boone
Cel-shaded illustration of Boone
AQI 26
#15Boone~2 h 25 min drive

North Carolina· Good

Blue Ridge college town near 3,300 feet in North Carolina's High Country, with cool mountain air and abundant lodging.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 4.7 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4.7/22 × 7 = 1.5 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
28% 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
Still smoky
Blowing Rock
Cel-shaded illustration of Blowing Rock
AQI 27
#16Blowing Rock~2 h 40 min drive

North Carolina· Good

Village perched on the Blue Ridge escarpment near 4,000 feet, with cool high-elevation air and historic inns.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 4.9 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4.9/22 × 7 = 1.6 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
25% 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
Still smoky
Fayetteville
Cel-shaded illustration of Fayetteville
AQI 39
#17FayettevilleChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

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

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 7 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 7/22 × 7 = 2.2 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 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 W OWEN SCH monitor.

Directions
Pigeon Forge
Cel-shaded illustration of Pigeon Forge
AQI 11
#18Pigeon Forge~5 h 20 min drive

Tennessee· Good

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

69% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

4.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Greensboro right now

69% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the MARYVILL monitor.

Directions
Harpers Ferry
Cel-shaded illustration of Harpers Ferry
AQI 11
#19Harpers Ferry~6 h 10 min drive

West Virginia· Good

Historic hillside town where the Potomac and Shenandoah cut a gap through the Blue Ridge, with river-gap breezes and B&Bs.

69% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

4.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Greensboro right now

69% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Hagerstown monitor.

Directions
Shepherdstown
Cel-shaded illustration of Shepherdstown
AQI 11
#20ShepherdstownChecking road route

West Virginia· Good

West Virginia's oldest town on the upper Potomac, a walkable river-valley base with inns and B&Bs.

69% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 6.5 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

4.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Greensboro right now

69% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Hagerstown 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 North Carolina →
Charlotte air qualityDurham air qualityRaleigh air qualityWinston-Salem air quality
Air quality in nearby cities →
Columbia air qualityRichmond air qualityGreenville air qualityNorfolk air qualityVirginia Beach air qualityAugusta air qualityCharleston air qualityKnoxville air qualityWashington, D.C. air qualityBaltimore air qualityLexington air qualityPittsburgh air quality

What this means · Greensboro

Good

AQI 36

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 6.5 µg/m³ (Good), 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 Good.

6.5 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.

2.1/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 6.5 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →