Tampa–St. Petersburg, FL Air Quality & Smog

Dominant pollutants, when smog is worst, notable historical episodes, and local agency resources for Tampa–St. Petersburg, FL — plus how to check the current AQI. For real-time readings, the free Smog Report iOS app pulls live air quality from EPA AirNow.

Dominant pollutants

ozone (spring-summer), PM2.5 (Saharan dust + Florida prescribed burns), red-tide aerosols.

Seasonal pattern: when smog is worst

Tampa Bay has Florida-typical air: generally clean, with Saharan dust intrusions in summer and prescribed-burn smoke from forestry operations in spring and fall. Red-tide aerosols on Gulf-side beaches can cause respiratory irritation, sometimes for weeks.

A recent or notable event

The 2018 red-tide bloom along Florida's Gulf Coast persisted for over a year and caused widespread respiratory complaints, school activity cancellations, and tourism declines along the Tampa Bay coast.

Local agencies and resources

Hillsborough EPC runs additional local monitors beyond the state AirNow network.

• Florida DEP
• Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission (EPC)

How to check air quality in Tampa–St. Petersburg

The EPA's AirNow.gov publishes the canonical reading from the nearest regulatory monitor. For glanceable iPhone access — including widgets, Live Activities, Siri voice queries, and Apple Watch — install Smog Report. It's free, requires no account, and pulls from the same AirNow API.

For Tampa–St. Petersburg-specific advisories and alerts that go beyond the federal AirNow feed, check the agency pages above directly.

Common questions about Tampa–St. Petersburg air quality

Why does Tampa–St. Petersburg have air-quality and smog problems?

Tampa Bay has Florida-typical air: generally clean, with Saharan dust intrusions in summer and prescribed-burn smoke from forestry operations in spring and fall. Red-tide aerosols on Gulf-side beaches can cause respiratory irritation, sometimes for weeks.

What are the main air pollutants in Tampa–St. Petersburg?

Tampa–St. Petersburg's dominant pollutants are ozone (spring-summer), PM2.5 (Saharan dust + Florida prescribed burns), red-tide aerosols. The AQI on any given day is usually driven by whichever of these is highest.

Has Tampa–St. Petersburg had a major air-quality or smog event?

The 2018 red-tide bloom along Florida's Gulf Coast persisted for over a year and caused widespread respiratory complaints, school activity cancellations, and tourism declines along the Tampa Bay coast.

How can I check Tampa–St. Petersburg's air quality right now?

The EPA's AirNow.gov publishes the official reading from the nearest regulatory monitor. For live AQI on your iPhone — with home-screen widgets, Lock Screen Live Activities, Siri, and Apple Watch — the free Smog Report app pulls from the same AirNow feed. No account is required.

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