New Hampshire ranks No. 1 for urban air quality, and boasts some of the lowest levels of industrial toxins. Learn more about New Hampshire.

Poor air quality in Utah is due to the mountainous topography which can cause pollutants to build up near the surface (especially during inversions) combined with the prevalence of emissions from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles, especially older models. Utah has had mixed responses to poor air quality.

An estimated 75 percent of Utahns lose 1 year of life or more as a result to state air pollution levels, while another 23 percent lose 5 years or more. A similar study conducted by MIT found that there are nearly 450 deaths in Utah annually as a result of air pollution.

Like much of the country, the primary air pollutants of concern in Utah are ozone and particulate matter (PM). These pollutants typically exhibit substantial seasonal variation, with ozone higher in the summer and PM higher during the winter.

Emissions come from three primary sources – vehicles, area sources, and industry. Cars, trucks, and heavy-duty vehicles are the biggest contributors to our air quality problems.

Utah’s air is clean much of the year, but in many parts of the state pollutants regularly exceed healthy air standards during winter months and also at times during the summer. Utahns view this air pollution as a threat to their health and their family’s health.

According to IQ Air, which ranks city air quality around the globe, Salt Lake City has the worst air in the country and the second-worst in the world as of 9 a.m. Saturday morning.

Los Angeles
Los Angeles air pollution. Los Angeles has the most contaminated air in the country. With a population of roughly over 10 million, the Los Angeles area is a large basin with the Pacific Ocean to the west and bounded prominently on the north and east by the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains.

Utah Air Quality Index City Rank

California
It’s official: California is the dirtiest state in the country. City living has taken center stage during the COVID-19 global pandemic.