Air quality in September: cleanest & most polluted destinations

Where the air is cleanest — and worst — to travel in September, ranked by the monthly-mean US Air Quality Index (AQI) across 600+ destinations. Lower is better: 0–50 is good, 100+ starts to bite, 150+ is unhealthy. Tap any place for its full September weather and air-quality breakdown.

Worst air quality in September

  1. 1Kuwait City, KuwaitVery unhealthy276AQI
  2. 2Damascus, SyriaVery unhealthy218AQI
  3. 3Jakarta, IndonesiaUnhealthy165AQI
  4. 4Manama, BahrainUnhealthy160AQI
  5. 5Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaUnhealthy156AQI
  6. 6Beijing, ChinaUnhealthy155AQI
  7. 7Hotan, ChinaUnhealthy for sensitive groups149AQI
  8. 8Chengdu, ChinaUnhealthy for sensitive groups140AQI
  9. 9Doha, QatarUnhealthy for sensitive groups136AQI
  10. 10Lahore, PakistanUnhealthy for sensitive groups135AQI
  11. 11Dubai, United Arab EmiratesUnhealthy for sensitive groups135AQI
  12. 12Baghdad, IraqUnhealthy for sensitive groups133AQI
  13. 13Ürümqi, ChinaUnhealthy for sensitive groups128AQI
  14. 14Delhi, IndiaUnhealthy for sensitive groups126AQI
  15. 15Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesUnhealthy for sensitive groups125AQI

Cleanest air in September

  1. 1Honiara, Solomon IslandsGood17AQI
  2. 2Kona, United StatesGood17AQI
  3. 3La Fortuna, Costa RicaGood17AQI
  4. 4Malabo, Equatorial GuineaGood17AQI
  5. 5Pohnpei, MicronesiaGood18AQI
  6. 6Anchorage, United StatesGood19AQI
  7. 7Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, United StatesGood19AQI
  8. 8Hilo, United StatesGood19AQI
  9. 9Majuro, Marshall IslandsGood19AQI
  10. 10Kobuk Valley National Park, United StatesGood20AQI
  11. 11Nadi, FijiGood20AQI
  12. 12Kauai, United StatesGood22AQI
  13. 13Pai, ThailandGood22AQI
  14. 14Chuuk, MicronesiaGood23AQI
  15. 15Denali National Park, United StatesGood23AQI