San Diego vs Santa Rosa Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of November 8, 2026, Santa Rosa, CA has cleaner air than San Diego, CA — AQI 6 (Good) vs 34 (Good), a gap of 28 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. San Diego's reading is driven by O3 and Santa Rosa's by O3.
San Diego, CA
Good
Santa Rosa, CA
Good
Summary
Santa Rosa has 28 points better air quality
Santa Rosa has an AQI of 6 compared to 34
Reduce Indoor Ozone in San Diego
Today's main pollutant in San Diego is ground-level ozone (AQI 34). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.
Compare activated-carbon purifiers (for gases & ozone):
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5-Day Forecast Comparison
| Day | San Diego | Santa Rosa | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 54 | AQI 44 | Santa Rosa |
| Sun, Nov 8 | AQI 61 | AQI 50 | Santa Rosa |