Worst air pollution Iowa City, today and tomorrow

Today (16 July): Air quality in Iowa City is fair. O3 is fair; AQI and NO2 are medium; PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, HCHO, and PM1 are good. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (NO2: 43.1/100).
Tomorrow (17 July 2026): Air quality in Iowa City is fair. All pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (NO2: 47.8/100). 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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Iowa City's air quality benefits from the flat Iowa prairie providing excellent natural wind dispersal, with prevailing westerly winds from the Great Plains generally keeping readings at moderate to low levels in this University of Iowa city. Vehicle emissions from I-80 and Highway 218 are the primary local sources, while agricultural ammonia from the surrounding Johnson County corn and hog operations contributes secondary particulate formation, and summer regional ozone from Midwest agricultural and industrial sources is the primary warm-season concern.

Today - 16 July | Pollution peaks at 00:00

AQI:

Medium

43.1/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

15.7/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

16.2/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Medium

43.1/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

36.7/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

6.7/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

5.5/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

10.5/100

Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day

Tomorrow - 17 July | Pollution peaks at 23:00

AQI:

Medium

47.8/100

PM2.5 (fine particles):

Good

10.1/100

PM10 (coarse particles):

Good

4.1/100

NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):

Medium

47.8/100

O3 (ozone):

Fair

37.6/100

SO2 (sulfur dioxide):

Good

2.7/100

CO (carbon monoxide):

Good

0.0/100

HCHO (formaldehyde):

Good

5.2/100

PM1 (ultrafine particles):

Good

8.4/100

Pollen forecast in Iowa City

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Air quality forecasts for neighbourhoods and landmarks in Iowa City

Frequently Asked Questions

Is air quality bad in Iowa City right now?

On 16 July 2026, overall air quality in Iowa City is fair. O3 is the main pollutant at 36.7/100. Pollution peaks around 12:00 AM (NO2: 43.1/100).

Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Iowa City?

On 17 July 2026, air quality conditions in Iowa City will be similar to today, with O3 forecast at fair at 37.6/100. Pollution peaks around 11:00 PM (NO2: 47.8/100).

When is air pollution at its worst in Iowa City?

Seasonal changes shape air quality across Iowa City. Typically, winter generally brings the cleanest air, aside from brief inversion episodes during calm cold spells, while both spring planting and autumn harvest bring short bursts of elevated dust and smoke. Wide-open terrain generally helps disperse pollution quickly once the wind picks up.

Are air quality levels in Iowa City 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.

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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