Fetch current AQI observations for a ZIP code or lat/lon using the EPA AirNow API
domain: www.airnowapi.org · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Register for an AirNow API account/key at the AirNow API portal.
Call the CurrentObservationsByZip (or ByLatLon) web service with your zip code or coordinates, a distance parameter, and your API key.
Parse the returned AQI values and categories per pollutant (e.g. PM2.5, ozone) for the matched reporting area.
Use the Observations by Monitoring Site service instead if station-level (rather than reporting-area) granularity is needed.
For forecast AQI rather than current conditions, use the corresponding forecast-by-zip/lat-lon service variant.
Known gotchas
Results are tied to EPA-defined 'reporting areas,' which can cover a wider region than the specific ZIP entered — don't assume hyperlocal precision.
Not all pollutants are monitored at every reporting area; missing pollutant fields in the response reflect a lack of local monitoring, not an API error.
AirNow's NowCast AQI algorithm smooths recent hours of data, so current readings lag and smooth out rapid short-term spikes.
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