About IsTheAirSafe.com

IsTheAirSafe.com is a free, independent air quality reference built for people who want a clear, fast, honest answer to one question: is it safe to breathe outside right now?

11,000+

Monitoring stations

400+

Cities covered

195

Countries

Hourly

Data refresh rate

Why We Built This

Air quality data has been publicly available for decades — but most existing sites present it in ways that are hard to act on. Large charts, technical jargon, and cluttered interfaces make it difficult for a parent, an asthma patient, or a runner to quickly understand what the air means for them personally.

IsTheAirSafe.com was built on a simple premise: the most important piece of information is the answer to the question in our name. Everything else — the AQI number, pollutant breakdown, health guidance — exists to support that answer, not replace it.

We cover 400+ cities worldwide using real-time data from government-certified monitoring networks. Data is refreshed hourly. All health guidance follows US EPA and WHO published standards.

Our Principles

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Fast answers first

Most air quality sites bury the most important information — is it safe or not — under charts and data tables. We put the answer in the first line. Everything else is context.

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Always free

Air quality data is a public health resource. We will never put essential AQI information behind a paywall, registration, or login. The data is free, and so is this site.

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Authoritative data only

We source exclusively from government-certified monitoring stations via the World Air Quality Index project and EPA AirNow. We don't use low-cost sensors as primary data sources.

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Health-first framing

Raw numbers mean little without context. Every AQI reading on this site is accompanied by specific, actionable health guidance — not vague disclaimers.

Data Sources & Methodology

All data is sourced from official government monitoring networks. We do not manufacture, estimate, or interpolate AQI values.

World Air Quality Index (WAQI)

aqicn.org

Real-time AQI data aggregated from 11,000+ government monitoring stations in 400+ cities worldwide. Backed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Updated hourly.

EPA AirNow

airnow.gov

The official US government air quality monitoring network operated by the EPA. Gold standard for US city data. All readings follow US EPA AQI calculation methodology.

Open-Meteo

open-meteo.com

Open-source meteorological data sourced from national weather services including NOAA, DWD, and ECMWF. Provides wind speed, humidity, temperature, and weather conditions.

AQI Calculation Standard

All AQI values on this site follow the US EPA AQI standard — the most widely used international benchmark. The AQI is calculated from concentrations of six pollutants: PM2.5, PM10, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide. The highest individual pollutant sub-index becomes the reported AQI. Health guidance thresholds follow EPA published guidelines and WHO air quality standards.

Disclaimer

IsTheAirSafe.com provides air quality information for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. People with serious health conditions should consult their physician for personalised guidance on air quality thresholds. While we strive to maintain accurate, up-to-date data, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of third-party data sources and accept no liability for decisions made based on information presented on this site.

Get in touch

Data corrections, partnership enquiries, or press requests.

hello@istheairsafe.com