Is the air in Denver safe today?

Yes. Right now the US AQI in Denver is 46, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 66 (moderate) around Fri 10:00 PM.

When is the best time to be outside in Denver?

Fri 3:00 PM–6:00 PM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 37. The worst hour is around Fri 10:00 PM, at 66.

What is the main pollutant in Denver?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 8.2 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Denver's air compare with the WHO guideline?

Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Denver's air?

About 0.5 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Denver improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 56, against 71 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Denver air quality

Colorado, United States · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 10:00 AM local time

Good

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Great air. A perfect time to be outside.

Next 24 hours: 31–66US AQI, highest around Fri 10:00 PM
Best time outside: Fri 3:00 PM–6:00 PMUS AQI about 37
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 0.7×11 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.5 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Denver. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Denver right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	8.2 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	8.4 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	20 µg/m³	Good	1.2×
Ozone O₃	64 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	1.1 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Carbon monoxide CO	356 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Aerosol optical depth	0.06	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	3	Moderate

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 66 around Fri 10:00 PM, lowest 27 around Sun 5:00 AM.

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Denver

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri, Nov 13	31–66	Moderate	10:00 PM	9.1	3 Moderate
Sat, Nov 14	42–64	Moderate	12:00 AM	10	2 Low
Sun, Nov 15	25–56	Moderate	11:00 PM	6.1	3 Moderate
Mon, Nov 16	46–71	Moderate	9:00 PM	12	3 Moderate
Tue, Nov 17	30–67	Moderate	9:00 AM	12	3 Moderate

Common questions about the air in Denver

Is the air in Denver safe today?
Yes. Right now the US AQI in Denver is 46, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 66 (moderate) around Fri 10:00 PM.
When is the best time to be outside in Denver?
Fri 3:00 PM–6:00 PM. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 37. The worst hour is around Fri 10:00 PM, at 66.
What is the main pollutant in Denver?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 8.2 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Denver's air compare with the WHO guideline?
Within the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Denver's air?
About 0.5 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 11 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Denver improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 56, against 71 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Denver

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 14 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 AM	0.8 km	59	Moderate
Denver - CAMP - 2105 Broadway AirNow, reference monitor PM_2.5: 12 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM NO₂: 87 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM O₃: 14 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM SO₂: 7.6 µg/m³ · Fri 9:00 AM	1.4 km	56	Moderate
Unnamed sensor OpenAQ, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 6.9 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 AM	2.1 km	38	Good

Air quality near Denver

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Dallas (26); worst: Phoenix (53). The tick on each bar is Denver, at 46.

Salt Lake City 596 km W 38 Good
Phoenix 942 km SW 53 Moderate
Las Vegas 974 km W 52 Moderate
Dallas 1,066 km SE 26 Good
Minneapolis 1,124 km NE 29 Good
Fresno 1,333 km W 33 Good

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 39.74°N, 104.99°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.