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Kansas City, MO Air Quality Index (AQI) Today

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Right now: Kansas City is at 48, good.

Is the air safe to breathe in Kansas City today?

48 48Good “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 48
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

O3

UV index

— modelled

UV hour by hour in Kansas City →

Forecast

— pipeline

Where this number sits

Of the 114 US metros reporting to us right now, Kansas City is number 55 and number 2 of the 2 we track in Missouri. The pollutant driving it today is O3.

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

  • Overland Park, KS — 10 miles away, AQI 48
  • Lincoln, NE — 161 miles away, AQI 33
  • Omaha, NE — 166 miles away, AQI 26
  • Wichita, KS — 178 miles away, AQI 61

Why a metro a short drive away reads differently →

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

Where this reading comes from

Kansas City, about miles from the metro centre, with nearby sensors.

Our history for Kansas City 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 Kansas City

What is the air quality in Kansas City right now?

AQI 48 — Good. That is number 55 of the 114 US metros reporting to us at this hour.

Which monitor does this number come from?

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

How does Kansas City compare with metros nearby?

At this hour: Overland Park 48, Lincoln 33, Omaha 26, Wichita 61. A gap that size over that distance usually means different terrain, traffic or wind rather than a broken sensor.

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 — Kansas City's UV index.

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

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

Updated