When is the best time to be outside in Mexico City?

Fri 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 45. The worst hour is around Fri 23:00, at 155.

What is the main pollutant in Mexico City?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 17 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Mexico City's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 26 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is also forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Mexico City's air?

About 1.2 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 26 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Mexico City improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 114, against 161 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Mexico City air quality

Q: Is the air in Mexico City safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Mexico City is 66, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 155 (unhealthy) around Fri 23:00.

Mexico · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 11:00 local time

Moderate

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 42–155US AQI, highest around Fri 23:00
Best time outside: Fri 14:00–17:00US AQI about 45
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.8×26 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 1.2 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

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

Pollutants in Mexico City right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	17 µg/m³	Moderate	1.8×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	18 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	30 µg/m³	Good	1.9×
Ozone O₃	73 µg/m³	Good	0.6×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	26 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Carbon monoxide CO	592 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Aerosol optical depth	0.28	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	5	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 155 around Fri 23:00, lowest 31 around Sat 17:00.

50100150

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

5-day air quality forecast for Mexico City

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 200.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	42–155	Unhealthy	23:00	23	5 Moderate
Sat 14 Nov	31–151	Unhealthy	23:00	25	7 High
Sun 15 Nov	69–161	Unhealthy	15:00	36	9 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	67–153	Unhealthy	0:00	34	7 High
Tue 17 Nov	31–114	Sensitive	0:00	14	6 High

Common questions about the air in Mexico City

Is the air in Mexico City safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Mexico City is 66, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort. It is expected to reach 155 (unhealthy) around Fri 23:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Mexico City?
Fri 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 45. The worst hour is around Fri 23:00, at 155.
What is the main pollutant in Mexico City?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 17 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Mexico City's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.8 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 26 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Mexico City's air?
About 1.2 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 26 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Mexico City improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 114, against 161 on Sunday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Mexico City

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
Merced OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 31 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 PM₁₀: 39 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 NO₂: 51 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 O₃: 12 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 SO₂: 11 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 CO: 1,145 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00	1.7 km	92	Moderate
Hospital General de México OpenAQ, reference monitor NO₂: 58 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 O₃: 14 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 SO₂: 18 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 CO: 1,603 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00	3.1 km	29	Good
Camarones OpenAQ, reference monitor NO₂: 60 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 O₃: 5.9 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 SO₂: 42 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00 CO: 916 µg/m³ · Fri 10:00	5.6 km	30	Good

Air quality near Mexico City

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Dallas (26); worst: Houston (61). The tick on each bar is Mexico City, at 66.

Guadalajara 461 km W 54 Moderate
Monterrey 706 km N 40 Good
Houston 1,210 km N 61 Moderate
Dallas 1,502 km N 26 Good
Phoenix 2,018 km NW 53 Moderate
Miami 2,065 km NE 59 Moderate

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 19.43°N, 99.13°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.