It appeared that, as of Friday, Chicago-area residents wouldn’t get a reprieve from poor air quality in the near future.
As smoke from Canadian wildfires persisted, the National Weather Service extended an air quality alert for Chicago through midnight on Saturday, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
Wildfire smoke rolled into the region on Thursday, making Chicago’s air quality among the worst in the world, according to IQAir. The NWS issued alerts for both Illinois and Indiana.
“People with respiratory diseases such as asthma should limit prolonged outdoor exposure,” the government agency said. The NWS also recommended the following:
Walking, biking, carpooling or using public transportation Avoiding the drive-thru Combining errands into one trip Avoiding refueling your vehicle after 7 p.m. Turning off your engine when idle for more than 30 seconds Turning off lights to conserve energer Setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or aboveIn Illinois, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a “red forecast air pollution action day” on Friday, saying, “Everyone should reduced prolonged activities or heavy exertion outdoors.”
As of the afternoon, the poorest conditions were reported in Joliet, Lockport, Crest Hill and parts of Plainfield, where the air quality was ranked as “unhealthy” — level four on the six-level air quality scale — with a PM2.5 of 152.
According to AirNow, PM2.5, an air pollutant also known as fine particulate matter, is causing much of the haze in the region. Anything over 200 is considered “very unhealthy.”
Air quality in the “unhealthy” category impacts both sensitive groups and the general public, with all people in the area asked to shorten the amount of time spent outdoors.
Areas to the north and west, such as Naperville, Oak Lawn, Hoffman Estates and McHenry, reported air quality in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category. As of 5 p.m. Friday, the city of Chicago – along with nearby communities such as Skokie, Evanston and Oak Park – were listed as being “moderate” for air quality.
Conditions were slated to worsen in the subsequent hours, however, with those communities expected to fall into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens were advised to reduce their exposure by choosing less strenuous activities or shortening the amount of time you are active outdoors.
The poorest air quality wasn’t only in the Joliet area; parts of central and northern Wisconsin, along with most of Minnesota, experienced “unhealthy” air quality due to smoke from the wildfires.
The WI DNR has issued an Air Quality Advisory for the entire state thru noon on Thu due to wildfire smoke over the state. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. For more info visit t.co/qn7tFwUozG. #wiwx pic.twitter.com/b5E9EgBhDJ
— NWS Green Bay (@NWSGreenBay) July 30, 2025What is the Air Quality Index?
According to officials, the Air Quality Index, or the AQI, is used by the Environmental Protection Agency to communicate to the public air quality levels, and how they can impact day-to-day life.
There are six different levels of air quality, and they’re all color-coded to illustrate changes in quality and how they impact residents.
Typically, anything above 100 is considered to be hazardous to at least some groups, and anything over 150 is considered to be “unhealthy,” posing issues to the general public.
How to find the AQI near you
AirNow provides a tool for residents to search their ZIP code to see what their forecasted air quality is, both in real time and for the days ahead.
For a more granular look, the website also offers information on different measurement stations around the area in real-time, allowing residents to track air quality in areas near their homes.
Air Quality Index map: Track the air quality near you
A real-time, interactive map of air quality from AirNow.gov can be found below:
What is PM2.5?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “PM stands for particulate matter (also called particle pollution): the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.”
“Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope,” the EPA states.
PM2.5 in particular involves “fine inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 2.5 micrometers and smaller.” By comparison, the average human hair strand is about 70 micrometers in diameter, or 30 times larger than these particles.
PM2.5 is one of five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act, which also includes ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.
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