Is the air quality good in New York City?
On August 6, 2025, at 9:28 AM PT, New York City, New York was the 7th most polluted major city in the world. Wildfire smoke from fires in northern Canada drifted across the eastern Canadian Provinces, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic States, and New England. Wildfire smoke caused regional air quality to move into the "unhealthy for sensitive" and “unhealthy” ranges for New York City and multiple cities.
New York City was listed as the 7th most polluted major city on the morning of August 6. Source: IQAir.
For a more detailed look, see New York City’s air quality map.
What is causing poor air quality in New York City?
There are numerous wildfires burning across northern Canada, particularly in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. For a closer look at wildfires in Canada, see the AirVisual air quality map.
Hourly air quality forecast for New York City, New York on August 6. Source: IQAir.
Which cities are being affected by wildfire smoke?
Several cities in the Midwest, Northern East Coast, and in Canada are experiencing poor air quality, including:
- Albany, New York
- Buffalo, New York
- Chicago, Illinois
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Eau Claire, Wisconsin
- Flin Flon, Manitoba
- Flint, Michigan
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
- Hartford, Connecticut
- London, Ontario
- Marquette, Michigan
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Newark, New Jersey
- Owen Sound, Ontario
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Rochester, New York
- Syracuse, New York
- Traverse City, Michigan
- Wausau, Wisconsin
- Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Air quality map of New York City on August 6. Source: IQAir.
Are there any alerts in place?
There are air quality alerts for Delaware, northern Illinois, western Massachusetts, Michigan, northeastern Minnesota, western New Hampshire, New York, central Pennsylvania, Vermont and Wisconsin according to the U.S. National Weather Service (1).1
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How can I protect myself from poor air quality?
- Get a free air quality app for real-time air quality alerts and forecasts.
- Shut doors and windows and set the HVAC to recirculate mode.
- Contribute to your community’s outdoor air quality data.
- Stay indoors when air quality is poor; if you do need to go outdoors, wear a KN95/FFP2 mask.
- Run a high-performance air purifier to filter particles, gases, and other pollutants.
