Is the air in Quito safe today?

Yes. Right now the US AQI in Quito is 48, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 63 (moderate) around Fri 20:00.

When is the best time to be outside in Quito?

Fri 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 42. The worst hour is around Fri 20:00, at 63.

What is the main pollutant in Quito?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 8.6 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Quito'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. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.

How many cigarettes is a day of Quito'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 Quito improve this week?

Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 39, against 81 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Quito air quality

Ecuador · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 12:00 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: 40–63US AQI, highest around Fri 20:00
Best time outside: Fri 14:00–17:00US AQI about 42
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 Quito. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Quito right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	8.6 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	8.8 µg/m³	Good	0.2×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	6.6 µg/m³	Good	0.8×
Ozone O₃	92 µg/m³	Good	0.7×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	14 µg/m³	Good	0.5×
Carbon monoxide CO	260 µg/m³	Good	0.3×
Aerosol optical depth	0.18	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	0 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	7	High

“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 63 around Fri 20:00, lowest 24 around Sat 18:00.

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

5-day air quality forecast for Quito

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 13 Nov	40–63	Moderate	20:00	10	8 Very high
Sat 14 Nov	24–62	Moderate	0:00	8.0	6 High
Sun 15 Nov	32–76	Moderate	23:00	8.4	10 Very high
Mon 16 Nov	27–81	Moderate	0:00	10	11 Extreme
Tue 17 Nov	23–39	Good	13:00	2.7	7 High

Common questions about the air in Quito

Is the air in Quito safe today?
Yes. Right now the US AQI in Quito is 48, which counts as good. Great air. A perfect time to be outside. It is expected to reach 63 (moderate) around Fri 20:00.
When is the best time to be outside in Quito?
Fri 14:00–17:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 42. The worst hour is around Fri 20:00, at 63.
What is the main pollutant in Quito?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 8.6 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Quito'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. The other pollutants stay within their guideline levels.
How many cigarettes is a day of Quito'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 Quito improve this week?
Tuesday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 39, against 81 on Monday, the worst day in the forecast.

Air quality near Quito

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: La Paz (27); worst: Lima (71). The tick on each bar is Quito, at 48.

Bogotá 731 km NE 31 Good
Medellín 783 km NE 58 Moderate
Lima 1,329 km S 71 Moderate
Caracas 1,744 km NE 38 Good
La Paz 2,139 km SE 27 Good
Miami 2,891 km N 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 0.18°S, 78.47°W, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.