Bad-air day near Tennessee

Breathing here shouldn't cost you a pack a day.

See what the smoke in Memphis is really doing to your lungs, then find cleaner air within a drive you choose.

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Pin your block or inspect another neighborhood. We compare the local air first, then weather, sunlight and the drive.

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Memphis (you are here) Low smoke Some particle pollution Unhealthy (sensitive) Unhealthy+ Nearby model sample

Springfield

#1

Checking road routeIllinoisLow smoke/ PM2.5 4.3 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 4.3 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 4.3/22 × 0.5 = 0.1 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

▼ 9.1 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Memphis right now

68% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

Illinois capital with extensive lodging northeast of St. Louis.

Kansas City

#2

Checking road routeMissouriLow smoke/ PM2.5 5 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 5 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 5/22 × 0.5 = 0.1 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

▼ 8.4 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Memphis right now

63% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

St. Louis

#3

Checking road routeMissouriLow smoke/ PM2.5 7.2 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 7.2 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 7.2/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

▼ 6.2 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Memphis right now

46% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

Atlanta

#4

Checking road routeGeorgiaLow smoke/ PM2.5 8.3 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 8.3 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 8.3/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

▼ 5.1 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Memphis right now

38% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

Chattanooga

#5

Checking road routeTennesseeLow smoke/ PM2.5 8.5 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 8.5 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 8.5/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

▼ 4.9 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Memphis right now

37% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

River and mountain city with plentiful lodging between Nashville, Atlanta and Birmingham.

Louisville

#6

Checking road routeKentuckySome particle pollution/ PM2.5 10.9 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 10.9 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 10.9/22 × 0.5 = 0.2 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

▼ 2.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Memphis right now

19% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

Gulfport

#7

Checking road routeMississippiSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 11.9 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 11.9 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 11.9/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
11% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

Mississippi Gulf Coast city with beach hotels and open-water air east of New Orleans.

Lake Ozark

#8

Checking road routeMissouriSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 12.3 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 12.3 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 12.3/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
8% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

Resort hub on the Lake of the Ozarks with a large stock of waterfront hotels and rentals.

Oxford

#9

~1 h 40 min driveMississippiSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 13.5 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 13.5 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 13.5/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
1% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

College town southeast of Memphis with hotels, rentals and a compact walkable centre.

Huntsville

#10

Checking road routeAlabamaSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 13.8 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 13.8 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 13.8/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
3% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

North Alabama city with plentiful lodging and a separate air-quality reading from Birmingham.

New Orleans

#11

Checking road routeLouisianaSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 14.4 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 14.4 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 14.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
7% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

Tulsa

#12

Checking road routeOklahomaSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 14.8 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 14.8 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 14.8/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
10% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

Birmingham

#13

Checking road routeAlabamaSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 15.4 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 15.4 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 15.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.4 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
15% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

Nashville

#14

Checking road routeTennesseeSome particle pollution/ PM2.5 16.3 µg/m³

PM2.5 is 16.3 µg/m³ here vs 13.4 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h out ≈ 16.3/22 × 0.5 = 0.4 here; 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 at home.A health-impact equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

▲ Air is currently worse here than in Memphis

22% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

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

13.4 µg/m³PM2.5 in Memphis right now
Some particle pollutionLatest observation Jul 18, 5:00 p.m. EDT

Build-time readings shown

Air quality · Memphis

Phew. Twelve hours out here is roughlyPM2.5 here is 13.4 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.12 h outside ≈ 13.4/22 × 0.5 = 0.3 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 inMemphis 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 Memphis, 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.

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