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Raleigh air right now

GoodAQI 38

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

38
AQI now
6.9
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.
Raleigh 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~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.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.7 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.7/22 × 7 = 1.8 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
17% 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
Greensboro
Cel-shaded illustration of Greensboro
AQI 36
#2Greensboro~1 h 40 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 6.5 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 6.5/22 × 7 = 2.1 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
6% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the MENDNHAL monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Fayetteville
Cel-shaded illustration of Fayetteville
AQI 39
#3FayettevilleChecking 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 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 7/22 × 7 = 2.2 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
1% 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
Still smoky
Knightdale
Cel-shaded illustration of Knightdale
AQI unavailable
#4KnightdaleChecking 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
Morrisville
Cel-shaded illustration of Morrisville
AQI unavailable
#5MorrisvilleChecking 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
Apex
Cel-shaded illustration of Apex
AQI unavailable
#6ApexChecking 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
Clayton
Cel-shaded illustration of Clayton
AQI unavailable
#7ClaytonChecking 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
Holly Springs
Cel-shaded illustration of Holly Springs
AQI unavailable
#8Holly SpringsChecking 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
Rolesville
Cel-shaded illustration of Rolesville
AQI unavailable
#9RolesvilleChecking 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
Scotts Mill
Cel-shaded illustration of Scotts Mill
AQI unavailable
#10Scotts MillChecking 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
Green Level
Cel-shaded illustration of Green Level
AQI unavailable
#11Green LevelChecking 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
Wendell
Cel-shaded illustration of Wendell
AQI unavailable
#12WendellChecking 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
Winston-Salem
Cel-shaded illustration of Winston-Salem
AQI 44
#13Winston-Salem~2 h 5 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 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8/22 × 7 = 2.5 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
16% 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
Wilmington
Cel-shaded illustration of Wilmington
AQI 52
#14Wilmington~2 h 30 min drive

North Carolina· Moderate

Atlantic riverfront city with beach access and coastal lodging southeast of Raleigh.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 9.5 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 9.5/22 × 7 = 3.0 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

Air is currently worse here than in Raleigh

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

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

PM2.5 from the CASTLE H monitor.

Directions
Still smoky
Stokesdale
Cel-shaded illustration of Stokesdale
AQI unavailable
#15StokesdaleChecking 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
Pembroke
Cel-shaded illustration of Pembroke
AQI unavailable
#16PembrokeChecking 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
Maxton
Cel-shaded illustration of Maxton
AQI unavailable
#17MaxtonChecking 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
#18Banner ElkChecking road route

North Carolina· Good

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

71% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

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

71% 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
Shepherdstown
Cel-shaded illustration of Shepherdstown
AQI 11
#19ShepherdstownChecking road route

West Virginia· Good

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

71% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

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

71% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

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

PM2.5 from the Hagerstown monitor.

Directions
Harpers Ferry
Cel-shaded illustration of Harpers Ferry
AQI 11
#20Harpers Ferry~6 h 25 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.

71% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2 µg/m³ here vs 6.9 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2/22 × 7 = 0.6 here; 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

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

71% 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 qualityGreensboro air qualityWinston-Salem air quality
Air quality in nearby cities →
Richmond air qualityNorfolk air qualityVirginia Beach air qualityColumbia air qualityCharleston air qualityGreenville air qualityWashington, D.C. air qualityAugusta air qualityBaltimore air qualityKnoxville air qualityHarrisburg air qualityPittsburgh air quality

What this means · Raleigh

Good

AQI 38

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 6.9 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.

6.9 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.

2.2/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 6.9 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 6.9/22 × 7 = 2.2 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →