Cook, Illinois Air Quality Today
AirHistory tracks long-run EPA monitoring rather than live readings, so for the live number check AirNow.gov below. As a baseline, Cook, Illinois's most recent EPA year (2023) posted a median AQI of 57 (Moderate) against a 5-year median of 57 and an overall Grade of D. The dominant pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), which tells you which days are most likely to spike.
Check Today's Live AQI in Cook, Illinois
AirHistory is built on 10 years of EPA Air Quality System records, so it shows you what air quality in Cook, Illinois typically looks like — not the live reading for this exact hour. For today's real-time AQI, check AirNow.gov (the EPA's official live index) or the AirNow Fire and Smoke Map during wildfire season.
That said, the history is the best predictor of a normal day. In 2023, Cook, Illinois posted a median AQI of 57 (Moderate), with 104 "Good" days and 34 days that crossed into "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" or worse. The dominant pollutant, Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), is the one most likely to push today's number up — Fine particulate matter — particles less than 2.5 micrometers across — comes mostly from combustion: vehicle exhaust, wildfire smoke, residential wood burning, and industrial emissions. Because these particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream, PM2.5 is the pollutant most strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and premature death.
Cook, Illinois Air Quality Snapshot
| Air Quality Grade | D49/100 |
| 5-Year Median AQI | 57 (Moderate) |
| Most Recent Median AQI (2023) | 57 (Moderate) |
| Dominant Pollutant | Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) |
| 10-Year Trend | Stable (-0.10 AQI/yr) |
| Unhealthy Days (last 5 yr) | 92 |
| National Rank (cleanest = #1) | #1002 of 1,020 (98th most polluted percentile) |
| Illinois Rank | #23 of 23 |
What Does the D Grade Mean?
Cook, Illinois earns a D — air quality falls below the U.S. average, with a 5-year median AQI of 57. Residents with asthma, COPD, heart disease, or young children should watch daily AQI forecasts and limit outdoor exertion when alerts go out.
Cook, Illinois's 5-year median AQI of 57 is 16 points above the national average of 41 — meaningfully more polluted than the typical U.S. metro tracked here. Within Illinois, Cook, Illinois runs more polluted than the state average of 45 — local sources or geography are concentrating pollution above the state's typical reading.
For context within Illinois: Clark, Illinois currently holds the state's cleanest grade (B, AQI 34), while Rock Island, Illinois sits at the bottom (D, AQI 47).
What's in Cook, Illinois's Air?
The dominant pollutant in Cook, Illinois is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5). Fine particulate matter — particles less than 2.5 micrometers across — comes mostly from combustion: vehicle exhaust, wildfire smoke, residential wood burning, and industrial emissions. Because these particles are small enough to enter the bloodstream, PM2.5 is the pollutant most strongly linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and premature death.
Days by Dominant Pollutant (2023)
| Pollutant | Days as Dominant | Share of Year |
|---|---|---|
| Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) | 252 | 69% |
| Ground-Level Ozone | 97 | 27% |
| Nitrogen Dioxide | 8 | 2% |
| Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10) | 8 | 2% |
Is the Air Getting Better or Worse?
Air quality in Cook, Illinois has held roughly steady over the past decade, with year-to-year shifts in median AQI of less than half a point. That stability makes the city's long-run grade a reliable signal of what residents can expect day-to-day.
In 2014, Cook, Illinois posted a median AQI of 59. By 2023 that figure was 57 — a drop of 2 AQI points cleaner across 10 years of EPA records.
Year-by-Year AQI in Cook, Illinois
| Year | Median AQI | Good Days | Unhealthy Days | Dominant Pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 59 | 76 | 8 | PM2.5 |
| 2015 | 57 | 73 | 7 | PM2.5 |
| 2016 | 56 | 115 | 18 | PM2.5 |
| 2017 | 55 | 114 | 19 | PM2.5 |
| 2018 | 59 | 86 | 19 | PM2.5 |
| 2019 | 58 | 80 | 9 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 58 | 86 | 20 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 59 | 87 | 21 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 54 | 117 | 8 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 57 | 104 | 34 | PM2.5 |
Health Context for Cook, Illinois
Across the past five years, this area has logged 92 days where AQI rose into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" range or worse — about 18 days per year. That is roughly typical for a U.S. metro, with most caution days clustered in summer (ozone) or wildfire season.
Treat daily AQI forecasts as essential input. On flagged days, sensitive groups (asthma, COPD, heart disease, pregnancy, young children, older adults) should limit outdoor exertion and keep windows closed. A HEPA air cleaner sized to a bedroom or family room can cut indoor PM2.5 by 80%+ during smoke or pollution events. Because PM2.5 penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, an N95 or KN95 mask provides meaningful protection on smoky or high-particulate days — surgical masks do not.
How This Grade Is Calculated
The AirHistory Air Quality Grade combines four signals: the 5-year median AQI (40% of the score), the 10-year trend direction (30%), the count of unhealthy days per year (20%), and the dominant pollutant type (10%). All four come directly from the EPA Air Quality System (AQS), which aggregates readings from federally certified monitors. Read the full methodology.
More about Cook, Illinois
Cook, Illinois has an Air Quality Grade of D (poor) with a 5-year median AQI of 57. The dominant pollutant is Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), and air quality has been stable over the past decade.
The data source behind this answer is the EPA Air Quality System (AQS). Every figure on the page traces back to that source; the methodology page describes the inputs and the refresh cadence in full detail.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the EPA Air Quality System (AQS) record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data, 2026.