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1 cleaner spot within a 3-hour drive

Chicago is breathing 2.2 cigarettes a week

6.8
PM2.5 µg/m³
38
AQI
2.1
Cleanest in reach · µg/m³
See the 1 cleaner spot

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.

Milwaukee looks like the better move.46% cleaner air with a verified 1 h 50 min road trip. Rankings balance cleaner air with trip ease.

Within Chicago

  • Oak Park5.6 µg/m³
  • Hyde Park5.7 µg/m³
  • Bronzeville5.7 µg/m³
  • The Loop6.8 µg/m³
  • Lincoln Park6.8 µg/m³
  • Wicker Park6.8 µg/m³
  • Evanston6.9 µg/m³
  • Naperville10.1 µg/m³
  • Schaumburg11.5 µg/m³
Every town is also available in the ranked list.
Chicago Local readings Clean · PM2.5 0–5 Good · 5–9 Elevated · 9–15 Polluted · 15–35 Unhealthy · 35–55 Severe · 55+
Top pick
Milwaukee
Cel-shaded illustration of Milwaukee
#1MilwaukeePM2.5 3.7~1 h 50 min drivesaves 1.0 cigs/wk

Wisconsin· PM2.5 3.7 µg/m³

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

46% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3.7 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3.7/22 × 7 = 1.2 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

3.1 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now

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

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Lake Geneva
Cel-shaded illustration of Lake Geneva
#2Lake GenevaPM2.5 4.6~1 h 45 min drivesaves 0.7 cigs/wk

Wisconsin· PM2.5 4.6 µg/m³

Resort town on a spring-fed lake in southern Wisconsin, an easy open-water escape from Chicago, with lakeside resorts.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 4.6 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4.6/22 × 7 = 1.5 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 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 Chicago right now

32% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 8:12 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Michigan City
Cel-shaded illustration of Michigan City
#3Michigan CityPM2.5 4.8Checking road routesaves 0.6 cigs/wk

Indiana· PM2.5 4.8 µg/m³

Indiana Dunes lakefront town on Lake Michigan, an easy Chicago-area beach escape with open-water air.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 4.8 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4.8/22 × 7 = 1.5 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
29% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
New Buffalo
Cel-shaded illustration of New Buffalo
#4New BuffaloPM2.5 4.8~1 h 30 min drivesaves 0.6 cigs/wk

Michigan· PM2.5 4.8 µg/m³

Harbor Country beach town on Lake Michigan's southeast corner, the closest lake escape to Chicago, with resorts and rentals.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 4.8 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 4.8/22 × 7 = 1.5 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
29% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Utica
Cel-shaded illustration of Utica
#5UticaPM2.5 5.4Checking road routesaves 0.4 cigs/wk

Illinois· PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³

Gateway to Starved Rock's sandstone canyons on the Illinois River, a wooded river-valley base with lodges.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.4 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.4/22 × 7 = 1.7 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
21% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 8:27 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Rockford
Cel-shaded illustration of Rockford
#6RockfordPM2.5 19.5Checking road route

Illinois· PM2.5 19.5 µg/m³

A major Illinois 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 19.5 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 19.5/22 × 7 = 6.2 here; 6.8/22 × 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 Chicago

187% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
South Shore
Cel-shaded illustration of South Shore
#7South ShoreParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

Illinois

Illinois 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 — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Berwyn
Cel-shaded illustration of Berwyn
#8BerwynParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

Illinois

Illinois 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 — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Stickney
Cel-shaded illustration of Stickney
#9StickneyParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

Illinois

Illinois 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 — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
West Ridge
Cel-shaded illustration of West Ridge
#10West RidgeParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

Illinois

Illinois 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 — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Auburn Gresham
Cel-shaded illustration of Auburn Gresham
#11Auburn GreshamParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

Illinois

Illinois 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 — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Elmwood Park
Cel-shaded illustration of Elmwood Park
#12Elmwood ParkParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 2.2 cigs/wk

Illinois

Illinois 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 — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Cedarburg
Cel-shaded illustration of Cedarburg
#13CedarburgPM2.5 3.1Checking road routesaves 1.2 cigs/wk

Wisconsin· PM2.5 3.1 µg/m³

Historic mill town on Cedar Creek near Milwaukee, a walkable stone-building Main Street with inns.

54% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3.1 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3.1/22 × 7 = 1.0 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

3.7 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now

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

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Lafayette
Cel-shaded illustration of Lafayette
#14LafayettePM2.5 3.8Checking road routesaves 1.0 cigs/wk

Indiana· PM2.5 3.8 µg/m³

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

44% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3.8 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3.8/22 × 7 = 1.2 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

3 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now

44% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Warsaw
Cel-shaded illustration of Warsaw
#15WarsawPM2.5 5.2Checking road routesaves 0.5 cigs/wk

Indiana· PM2.5 5.2 µg/m³

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

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 5.2 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 5.2/22 × 7 = 1.7 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
24% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
South Haven
Cel-shaded illustration of South Haven
#16South HavenPM2.5 8.5~2 h 25 min drive

Michigan· PM2.5 8.5 µg/m³

Harbour beach town on Lake Michigan's southwest shore, swept by onshore lake air, with waterfront hotels and rentals.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 8.5 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8.5/22 × 7 = 2.7 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
25% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 8:12 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Holland
Cel-shaded illustration of Holland
#17HollandPM2.5 9.1Checking road route

Michigan· PM2.5 9.1 µg/m³

Dutch-heritage Lake Michigan town with a state-park beach, swept by onshore lake air, with hotels.

Worse air than home. Don't bother.

PM2.5 is 9.1 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 9.1/22 × 7 = 2.9 here; 6.8/22 × 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 Chicago

34% worse airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Munising
Cel-shaded illustration of Munising
#18MunisingPM2.5 2.1Checking road routesaves 1.5 cigs/wk

Michigan· PM2.5 2.1 µg/m³

Upper Peninsula town beside Pictured Rocks on Lake Superior, wrapped in the big lake's cool air, with lodges.

69% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2.1 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2.1/22 × 7 = 0.7 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

4.7 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now

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

Observed Jul 27, 8:27 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Glen Arbor
Cel-shaded illustration of Glen Arbor
#19Glen ArborPM2.5 2.3Checking road routesaves 1.4 cigs/wk

Michigan· PM2.5 2.3 µg/m³

Village beside Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan, wrapped in lakeshore air, with cottages and inns.

66% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 2.3 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 2.3/22 × 7 = 0.7 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 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 Chicago right now

66% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 8:27 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
Sturgeon Bay
Cel-shaded illustration of Sturgeon Bay
#20Sturgeon BayPM2.5 3.3~4 h 45 min drivesaves 1.1 cigs/wk

Wisconsin· PM2.5 3.3 µg/m³

Door County's harbour city between the bay and Lake Michigan, wrapped in peninsula lake air, with inns and waterfront rentals.

51% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 3.3 µg/m³ here vs 6.8 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 3.3/22 × 7 = 1.1 here; 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

3.5 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Chicago right now

51% cleaner airChecking trip easeChecking nearby staysChecking today's weather

Observed Jul 27, 8:12 p.m. EDT

PM2.5 is modelled for this town — no monitoring station is close enough for a live AQHI.

HotelsRentalsDirections
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 Jul 27, 7:00 p.m. EDTLast scan Jul 27, 8:27 p.m. EDT · 53 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 →

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All 145 U.S. cities →
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What this means · Chicago

Phew.

2.2cigarettes

per week, if this air holds

Act two · The scale

Where today lands

From a crisp horizon to smoke you can taste — here’s your reading on it.

6.8 µg/m³
CrispSome smokeHeavy smoke

Act three · The ladder

What each 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 · The fine print

The receipts

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 6.8 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 6.8/22 × 7 = 2.2 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →