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Missoula air right now

ModerateAQI 58

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

58
AQI now
13
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.

Helena looks like the better move.82% cleaner air with a verified 2 h road trip. Rankings balance cleaner air with trip ease.

Every town is also available in the ranked list.
Missoula Clean · PM2.5 0–5 Good · 5–9 Elevated · 9–15 Polluted · 15–35 Unhealthy · 35–55 Severe · 55+
Top pick
Helena
Cel-shaded illustration of Helena
AQI 13
#1Helena~2 h drive

Montana· Good

Montana's capital city set against the foothills of the Rockies, with a broad range of hotels and a separate air reading from the valley towns.

82% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2.4 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2.4/22 × 7 = 0.8 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

10.6 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

82% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Helena monitor.

Directions
Philipsburg
Cel-shaded illustration of Philipsburg
AQI 27
#2PhilipsburgChecking road route

Montana· Good

Historic mining town near 5,300 feet in the Sapphire Mountains, remote and cool with a restored Main Street.

62% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 4.9 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4.9/22 × 7 = 1.6 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.1 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

62% 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
Seeley Lake
Cel-shaded illustration of Seeley Lake
AQI 37
#3Seeley LakeChecking road route

Montana· Good

Forested lake-chain village in the Swan Valley, deep in Montana timber country with cabins.

49% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 6.6 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.6/22 × 7 = 2.1 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

6.4 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

49% 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
Polson
Cel-shaded illustration of Polson
AQI 52
#4PolsonChecking road route

Montana· Moderate

Town at the south end of Flathead Lake, Montana's largest natural lake, with open-water mountain air.

28% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 9.4 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 9.4/22 × 7 = 3.0 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 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 Missoula right now

28% 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
Hamilton
Cel-shaded illustration of Hamilton
AQI 60
#5HamiltonChecking road route

Montana· Moderate

Bitterroot Valley town between two mountain ranges, with cooler valley air south of Missoula.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 14 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 14/22 × 7 = 4.5 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 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 Hamilton monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Lolo
Cel-shaded illustration of Lolo
AQI unavailable
#6LoloChecking road route

Montana

Montana 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
Frenchtown
Cel-shaded illustration of Frenchtown
AQI unavailable
#7FrenchtownChecking road route

Montana

Montana 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
Stevensville
Cel-shaded illustration of Stevensville
AQI unavailable
#8StevensvilleChecking road route

Montana

Montana 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
Ronan
Cel-shaded illustration of Ronan
AQI unavailable
#9RonanChecking road route

Montana

Montana 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
Pablo
Cel-shaded illustration of Pablo
AQI unavailable
#10PabloChecking road route

Montana

Montana 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
Deer Lodge
Cel-shaded illustration of Deer Lodge
AQI unavailable
#11Deer LodgeChecking road route

Montana

Montana 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
Anaconda
Cel-shaded illustration of Anaconda
AQI unavailable
#12AnacondaChecking road route

Montana

Montana 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
Salmon
Cel-shaded illustration of Salmon
AQI 11
#13SalmonChecking road route

Idaho· Good

Remote river-valley town in Idaho's wilderness heart, on the Salmon River with dry high-mountain air.

85% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

11 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

85% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Salmon PM2.5 monitor.

Directions
Coeur d'Alene
Cel-shaded illustration of Coeur d'Alene
AQI 11
#14Coeur d'Alene~2 h 55 min drive

Idaho· Good

Resort city on a long forest-ringed lake in the Idaho Panhandle, where open water and mountain air pair well, with waterfront hotels.

85% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

11 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

85% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Nursery Rd. monitor.

Directions
Bigfork
Cel-shaded illustration of Bigfork
AQI 47
#15Bigfork~2 h 15 min drive

Montana· Good

Village on the northeast bay of Flathead Lake, where a huge freshwater lake keeps air moving, with lakeside inns and rentals.

35% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 8.5 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8.5/22 × 7 = 2.7 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 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 Missoula right now

35% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Columbia Falls monitor.

Directions
Kalispell
Cel-shaded illustration of Kalispell
AQI 47
#16KalispellChecking road route

Montana· Good

Flathead Valley city near Glacier National Park, with a broad hotel base and cool mountain-valley air.

35% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 8.5 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8.5/22 × 7 = 2.7 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 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 Missoula right now

35% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Columbia Falls monitor.

Directions
Columbia Falls
Cel-shaded illustration of Columbia Falls
AQI 47
#17Columbia FallsChecking road route

Montana· Good

Gateway town to Glacier National Park's west entrance, with cool valley air below the high peaks.

35% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 8.5 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8.5/22 × 7 = 2.7 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 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 Missoula right now

35% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Columbia Falls monitor.

Directions
West Yellowstone
Cel-shaded illustration of West Yellowstone
AQI 0
#18West Yellowstone~4 h 35 min drive

Montana· Good

Park-gateway town near 6,700 feet at Yellowstone's west entrance, high and dry on the Continental Divide, with plentiful motels.

100% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 0 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 0/22 × 7 = 0 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

13 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

100% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Yellowstone- Old Faithful Snow Lodge monitor.

Directions
Pinedale
Cel-shaded illustration of Pinedale
AQI 3
#19PinedaleChecking road route

Wyoming· Good

Wind River Range gateway near 7,200 feet, a wilderness-trailhead base with cool high-country air.

95% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 0.6 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 0.6/22 × 7 = 0.2 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

12.4 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

95% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Aug 23, 4:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 from the Pinedale Gaseous monitor.

Directions
Winthrop
Cel-shaded illustration of Winthrop
AQI 5
#20Winthrop~7 h 55 min drive

Washington· Good

Old-West town in the Methow Valley on the east slope of the North Cascades, high and dry with lodges and cabins.

93% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 0.9 µg/m³ here vs 13 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 0.9/22 × 7 = 0.3 here; 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

12.1 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Missoula right now

93% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Winthrop-Chewuch Rd 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 Montana →
Billings air qualityBozeman air quality
Air quality in nearby cities →
Spokane air qualityLethbridge air qualityBoise air qualityMedicine Hat air qualityCalgary air qualityYakima air qualityKelowna air qualityKamloops air qualitySeattle air qualityTacoma air qualityChilliwack air qualityOgden air quality

What this means · Missoula

Moderate

AQI 58

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 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 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.

4.1/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 13 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 13/22 × 7 = 4.1 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →