SmogRank / World / United Kingdom / England / March 2026

Most polluted cities in England, United Kingdom, March 2026

53 cities in England, United Kingdom ranked by their average PM2.5 over the 31 days. Worst: Cambridge at 14.6 µg/m³, #889 of 2,947 cities in the world. Cleanest: Middlesbrough at 8.3. A city needs measurements on 70% of the days to be ranked.

Ranked by unhealthy days: the share of each city's measured days with a daily mean over 35.4 µg/m³ (US AQI 101+), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse on the US EPA's scale. Ties go to the higher average.

← Cambridge 10% 7.5%0
Every city in England, United Kingdom ranked for March 2026, one column each, ranked by unhealthy days: height is the share of its measured days that were unhealthy, colour its average. Point at it to read a city; tap to open it.
  1. 1Cambridgelow-cost sensors
    10%
  2. 2Manchester
    6%
  3. 3Brighton
    4%
  4. 4Plymouth
    4%
  5. 5Portsmouth
    4%
  6. 6Andover
    4%
  7. 7Oxford
    4%
  8. 8Southampton
    4%
  9. 9Hayes
    4%
  10. 10Leeds
    4%
  11. 11Reading
    4%
  12. 12Luton
    4%
  13. 13Wigan
    4%
  14. 14Liverpool
    4%
  15. 14Leicester
    4%
  16. 16Speke
    4%
  17. 17Northampton
    4%
  18. 18Bexley
    3%
  19. 19Birminghamlow-cost sensors
    3%
  20. 20London
    0%
  21. 21Storrington
    0%
  22. 22Brightlingsea
    0%
  23. 23Doncaster
    0%
  24. 24Scunthorpe
    0%
  25. 24Dartford
    0%
  26. 26Seaford
    0%
  27. 27Street
    0%
  28. 28Sheffield
    0%
  29. 28Nottingham
    0%
  30. 30Norwich
    0%
  31. 30Halesworth
    0%
  32. 30Derby
    0%
  33. 33Stoke-on-Trent
    0%
  34. 33Barnsley
    0%
  35. 35Cannock
    0%
  36. 36Honiton
    0%
  37. 37Westburylow-cost sensors
    0%
  38. 37Burwell
    0%
  39. 39Bristol
    0%
  40. 40York
    0%
  41. 40Sunderland
    0%
  42. 40Kingston upon Hull
    0%
  43. 43Royal Leamington Spa
    0%
  44. 44Chesterfield
    0%
  45. 44Cheadle Hulme
    0%
  46. 46Newcastle upon Tyne
    0%
  47. 47Warrington
    0%
  48. 47Sheringham
    0%
  49. 49Preston
    0%
  50. 50High Peak
    0%
  51. 51Saltash
    0%
  52. 52Irlam
    0%
  53. 53Middlesbrough
    0%

Low-cost sensors: consumer units, counted only in cities with no government-grade monitor; they read close to reference monitors on the whole, but 15 to 25% high in humid air. How we use them.

Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

The US EPA's Air Quality Index for PM2.5 (2024 breakpoints). Show values as: µg/m³ · US AQI · India AQI · China AQI · European AQI · UK DAQI · Canada AQHI+. About the scales

All cities in the world, March 2026 · All cities in United Kingdom, March 2026 · England now

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SmogRank, most polluted cities in England, United Kingdom, PM2.5, March 2026, smogrank.com/gb/region/england/history/2026-03 (accessed 6 Oct 2026).

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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms. Raw monitor readings in bulk are published by OpenAQ, under each provider's licence.