Sign In Register

Cleanest Air Cities in Illinois

Lowest pollution levels for healthy outdoor living.

Best Climate Cleanest Air Sunniest Most Urban All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Illinois

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Clean Air · 65% Sunshine · 20% Low Rain · 15%

Top 12 Cleanest Air Cities in Illinois

Ranked by composite score across 3 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 87.8
Effingham, IL
12,258 residents
Clean Air 41
Sunshine 293 days
Low Rain 44
#2
Score 80.2
Toledo, IL
1,209 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#3
Score 79.9
Mount Zion, IL
6,076 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#4
Score 79.9
Oreana, IL
1,183 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#5
Score 79.9
Long Creek, IL
1,309 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#6
Score 79.9
Cerro Gordo, IL
1,426 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#7
Score 79.9
Bement, IL
1,664 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#8
Score 79.9
Kingston, IL
1,156 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#9
Score 79.9
Payson, IL
1,030 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#10
Score 79.8
Quincy, IL
39,188 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 36
#11
Score 78.7
Sherman, IL
4,211 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 38
#12
Score 78.7
Riverton, IL
3,506 residents
Clean Air 43
Sunshine 302 days
Low Rain 38

Full Ranking, Illinois

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Effingham IL 87.8
2 Toledo IL 80.2
3 Mount Zion IL 79.9
4 Oreana IL 79.9
5 Long Creek IL 79.9
6 Cerro Gordo IL 79.9
7 Bement IL 79.9
8 Kingston IL 79.9
9 Payson IL 79.9
10 Quincy IL 79.8
11 Sherman IL 78.7
12 Riverton IL 78.7
13 Williamsville IL 78.7
14 Taylorville IL 78.7
15 Kincaid IL 78.7
16 Edinburg IL 78.7
17 Divernon IL 78.5
18 Waverly IL 78.5
19 Auburn IL 78.5
20 Pawnee IL 78.5
21 Virden IL 78.5
22 Athens IL 78.5
23 Barry IL 78.4
24 Mount Sterling IL 78
25 Virginia IL 77.9
26 Ashland IL 77.9
27 Greenfield IL 77.7
28 Roodhouse IL 77.7
29 Wilmington IL 77.7
30 White Hall IL 77.7
31 Carrollton IL 77.7
32 Springfield IL 76.6
33 Chester IL 76.4
34 De Soto IL 75.6
35 Murphysboro IL 75.6
36 Carlinville IL 74.3
37 Mount Olive IL 74.3
38 Gillespie IL 74.3
39 Raymond IL 74.3
40 Girard IL 74.3
41 Benld IL 74.3
42 Staunton IL 74.3
43 Litchfield IL 74.3
44 Bunker Hill IL 74.3
45 Winchester IL 74.1
46 Macon IL 74
47 Moweaqua IL 74
48 Harristown IL 74
49 Decatur IL 74
50 Forsyth IL 74

Effingham, IL tops the list with a composite score of 87.8 out of 100, followed by Toledo and Mount Zion. IL dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for cleanest air.

Rankings combine 3 independent metrics: Clean Air, Sunshine, Low Rain. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to cleanest air, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Climate Cities
Warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine and clean air.
Sunniest Cities
Most days of sunshine per year, with warm and dry climate.
Most Urban Cities
Densely populated city centers with the largest urban footprints.