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Des Moines, IA Air Quality Index (AQI) Today

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Right now: Des Moines is at 33, good.

Is the air safe to breathe in Des Moines today?

33 33Good “Unhealthy for everyone” starts at 151 — not 201.

Go

Normal outdoor plans. No change needed.

Short & unloaded

A 20-minute dog walk, not a 2.5-hour run. Keep it brief and easy.

Don’t go

Move it indoors. Above 200 that becomes everyone, not just sensitive groups.

Duration and intensity are two separate dials

Verdict by duration and intensity at AQI 33
Under 20 min20–60 minOver an hour
Easy Go Go Go
Moderate Go Go Go
Hard Go Go Go

Where people actually draw the line

All the thresholds people reported, and who reported them
  • 60 Asthmatic runnerone runner’s own 156-run log
  • 75–100 Daycare / schoolWA 75/80, MN 100 — confirmed; most states not studied
  • 100 Parentcommunity-reported, escalating at 150 and 200
  • 110 Runnercommunity-reported

EPA classifies 101–150 as Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. That is an attributed classification, not a verdict on your lungs specifically.

If you’re staying in, filter the room you’re actually in

A portable HEPA unit or a Corsi-Rosenthal box — one builder put theirs at about $130 for a 12×14 bedroom. We don’t default to a MERV-13 swap in whole-house HVAC: it can restrict airflow, and the safe version needs a static-pressure check first.

See options

Dominant pollutant

PM2.5

UV index

— modelled

UV hour by hour in Des Moines →

Forecast

— pipeline

Where this number sits

Of the 114 US metros reporting to us right now, Des Moines is number 92 and the highest of the 2 we track in Iowa. The pollutant driving it today is PM2.5.

Nearby metros we also measure, and what they read at the same hour:

  • Cedar Rapids, IA — 105 miles away, AQI 28
  • Omaha, NE — 123 miles away, AQI 26
  • Lincoln, NE — 168 miles away, AQI 33
  • Rochester, MN — 177 miles away, AQI 35

Why a metro a short drive away reads differently →

No written guide for Des Moines yet — that comes when we have something specific to say about this metro. How we measure →

Where this reading comes from

Des Moines, about miles from the metro centre, with nearby sensors.

Our history for Des Moines so far

Daily maximum, our own readings. 1 day since 2026-08-16; nothing back-filled. Why we keep our own →

0 of the 1 day we have recorded so far went above AQI 100.

Questions about Des Moines

What is the air quality in Des Moines right now?

AQI 33 — Good. That is number 92 of the 114 US metros reporting to us at this hour.

Which monitor does this number come from?

Des Moines. One instrument reports for the whole metro, so the side farthest from it is the least well described.

How does Des Moines compare with metros nearby?

At this hour: Cedar Rapids 28, Omaha 26, Lincoln 33, Rochester 35. Readings that close together suggest one airshed rather than local sources.

Does this include pollen?

No. The AQI covers PM2.5, PM10, ozone, NO₂, SO₂ and CO. A high-pollen day can read clean here and still put someone in bed. UV is also separate — Des Moines's UV index.

What the number means, band by band → · Why apps disagree →

Worst air in the US right nowWhere Des Moines sits against 27 other metros, this hour What the number meansEPA bands, and where “unhealthy for everyone” starts

Updated