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1 cleaner spot within a 3-hour drive

Rapid City is breathing 3.2 cigarettes a week

10.2
PM2.5 µg/m³
53
AQI
1.4
Cleanest in reach · µg/m³
See the 1 cleaner spot

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The better move within a 3-hour drive

Dates

Dates follow you into hotel searches. Live inventory is confirmed by the provider.

Spearfish looks like the better move.30% cleaner air with a verified 50 min road trip. Rankings balance cleaner air with trip ease.

Every town is also available in the ranked list.
Rapid City Clean · PM2.5 0–5 Good · 5–9 Elevated · 9–15 Polluted · 15–35 Unhealthy · 35–55 Severe · 55+
Top pick
Spearfish
Cel-shaded illustration of Spearfish
#1SpearfishPM2.5 7.1~50 min drivesaves 1.0 cigs/wk

South Dakota· PM2.5 7.1 µg/m³

Northern Black Hills town at the mouth of a forested canyon, higher and cooler than the plains, with hotels and rentals.

30% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 7.1 µg/m³ here vs 10.2 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 7.1/22 × 7 = 2.3 here; 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 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 Rapid City right now

30% 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
Deadwood
Cel-shaded illustration of Deadwood
#2DeadwoodPM2.5 8~45 min drivesaves 0.7 cigs/wk

South Dakota· PM2.5 8 µg/m³

Historic Black Hills mining town tucked in a forested gulch, higher and cooler than the surrounding plains, with historic hotels.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 8 µg/m³ here vs 10.2 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8/22 × 7 = 2.5 here; 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 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 Rapid City right now

22% 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
Custer
Cel-shaded illustration of Custer
#3CusterPM2.5 8.6~1 h drivesaves 0.5 cigs/wk

South Dakota· PM2.5 8.6 µg/m³

Black Hills town near 5,300 feet amid granite spires and pine forest, cooler and clearer than the plains, with cabins and lodges.

About the same air — still smoky.

PM2.5 is 8.6 µg/m³ here vs 10.2 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 8.6/22 × 7 = 2.7 here; 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
16% 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
Box Elder
Cel-shaded illustration of Box Elder
#4Box ElderParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

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

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Ellsworth Air Force Base
Cel-shaded illustration of Ellsworth Air Force Base
#5Ellsworth Air Force BaseParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

South Dakota 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
Summerset
Cel-shaded illustration of Summerset
#6SummersetParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

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

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Sturgis
Cel-shaded illustration of Sturgis
#7SturgisParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

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

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Lead
Cel-shaded illustration of Lead
#8LeadParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

South Dakota 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
North Spearfish
Cel-shaded illustration of North Spearfish
#9North SpearfishParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

South Dakota 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
Hot Springs
Cel-shaded illustration of Hot Springs
#10Hot SpringsParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

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

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Newcastle
Cel-shaded illustration of Newcastle
#11NewcastleParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

Wyoming

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

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Belle Fourche
Cel-shaded illustration of Belle Fourche
#12Belle FourcheParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

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

HotelsRentalsDirections
Still smoky
Chadron
Cel-shaded illustration of Chadron
#13ChadronParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

Nebraska

Nebraska 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
Gillette
Cel-shaded illustration of Gillette
#14GilletteParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

Wyoming

Wyoming 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
Wright
Cel-shaded illustration of Wright
#15WrightParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

Wyoming

Wyoming 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
North Eagle Butte
Cel-shaded illustration of North Eagle Butte
#16North Eagle ButteParticle data unavailableChecking road routesaves 3.2 cigs/wk

South Dakota

South Dakota 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
Meeker
Cel-shaded illustration of Meeker
#17MeekerPM2.5 1.4Checking road routesaves 2.8 cigs/wk

Colorado· PM2.5 1.4 µg/m³

White River Valley ranch town in northwest Colorado, remote from urban sources with cool high-plateau air.

86% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 1.4 µg/m³ here vs 10.2 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 1.4/22 × 7 = 0.4 here; 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.8 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Rapid City right now

86% 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
Granby
Cel-shaded illustration of Granby
#18GranbyPM2.5 1.6Checking road routesaves 2.7 cigs/wk

Colorado· PM2.5 1.6 µg/m³

Middle Park ranching town near Lake Granby and Rocky Mountain National Park, with open-water mountain air.

84% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 1.6 µg/m³ here vs 10.2 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 1.6/22 × 7 = 0.5 here; 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.6 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Rapid City right now

84% 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
Winter Park
Cel-shaded illustration of Winter Park
#19Winter ParkPM2.5 1.6Checking road routesaves 2.7 cigs/wk

Colorado· PM2.5 1.6 µg/m³

Ski town over Berthoud Pass near 9,000 feet, with thin alpine air and a large base of condos and lodges.

84% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 1.6 µg/m³ here vs 10.2 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 1.6/22 × 7 = 0.5 here; 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.6 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Rapid City right now

84% 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
Vail
Cel-shaded illustration of Vail
#20VailPM2.5 1.6Checking road routesaves 2.7 cigs/wk

Colorado· PM2.5 1.6 µg/m³

Purpose-built alpine resort at 8,150 feet in the White River high country, with cool mountain air and a large base of lodges and condos.

84% cleaner than home — pack the car.

PM2.5 is 1.6 µg/m³ here vs 10.2 back home.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at these levels: 1.6/22 × 7 = 0.5 here; 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 at home.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →

8.6 µg/m³ less fine-particle pollution than Rapid City right now

84% 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, 8:12 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 →

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What this means · Rapid City

Phew.

3.2cigarettes

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.

10.2 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 10.2 µg/m³.Berkeley Earth: 22 µg/m³ for 24 h ≈ 1 cigarette.A week at this level: 10.2/22 × 7 = 3.2 cigarettes.A long-term health-risk equivalence, not literal smoking.See how we work it out →
See the full method →