Worst air pollution Charlottesville, today and tomorrow

Today (16 July): Air quality in Charlottesville is medium. AQI and O3 are medium; PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (O3: 40.2/100).
Tomorrow (17 July 2026): Air quality in Charlottesville is fair. AQI worsens to fair; O3 increases to fair; all other pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (O3: 38.6/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.

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Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team

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Charlottesville's air quality benefits from the Blue Ridge Mountain valley position in central Virginia, with vehicle emissions from I-64 and US-29 and the University of Virginia campus contributing local sources. The surrounding Appalachian highlands create topographic variation, while summer ozone from the naturally high biogenic Appalachian VOC emissions combining with vehicle NOₓ is the primary warm-season concern, and the mountain valley setting provides generally moderate baseline conditions.

Today - 16 July | Pollution peaks at 13:00

AQI:

Medium

40.2/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

16.7/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

8.0/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

1.6/100

O3 (ozone):

Medium

40.2/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

0.3/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

1.7/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

11.1/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 17 July | Pollution peaks at 13:00

AQI:

Fair

38.6/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

15.4/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

7.6/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Good

2.1/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

38.6/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

0.3/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

2.1/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

9.4/100

Pollen forecast in Charlottesville

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Air quality forecasts for neighbourhoods and landmarks in Charlottesville

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Charlottesville right now?

On 16 July 2026, overall air quality in Charlottesville is medium. AQI is the main air quality indicator at 40.2/100. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (O3: 40.2/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Charlottesville?

On 17 July 2026, air quality conditions in Charlottesville will be worse than today, with AQI forecast at fair at 38.6/100. Pollution peaks around 1:00 PM (O3: 38.6/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Charlottesville?

Charlottesville sees air quality change through the year. Typically, winter generally brings the cleanest air, once the summer ozone season has passed, while hot, humid summer conditions and regional haze drive ozone spikes, especially during heat waves. Dense urban traffic corridors add a persistent background level of pollution that varies less by season than ozone does.

Are air quality levels in Charlottesville based on measurements or forecasts?

It is forecasts derived by downscaling forecasts provided by EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) by taking into account local conditions such as traffic patterns. CAMS bases its forecast on satellite measurements of particles and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. Airmine’s services were developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team.

Want to see air quality forecasts for other cities in United States?

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Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 16 July 2026 at 10:33 CEST (Data is updated four times daily.)

This forecast is produced independently using Airmine's own atmospheric data and models.

Unless explicitly made clear, the content on this site has not been paid for by external organisations and is Airmine's sole responsibility.

For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app