# Where in the USA would you move if you wanted fresh air? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 2, 2012, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596 "2012-02-02T23:26:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/21 "2012-02-03T04:48:20Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > \*I say “populated area” because obviously living out in the tundra of northern Alaska or in the middle of the redwood forests of the Pacific Northwest wouldn’t be feasible. Well there is only a narrow band of Redwoods in southern Oregon. You find Redwood forests In California, outside of the Pacific Northwest. And it is feasible to live in Pacific Northwest forests, in a populated area. Portland, Oregon, comes to mind. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/22 "2012-02-03T05:59:13Z")
For a metropolitan area, Seattle is pretty good. My in-laws from China call it “one GIANT oxygen bar.” Admittedly that’s coming off of a low base. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/23 "2012-02-03T13:35:47Z")
We get some pretty amazing air in da UP, coming in from over Lake Superior, and it’s rarely muggy or overly humid. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/24 "2012-02-03T13:46:21Z")
> [@Ulfreida](#): > > West coast, right on the water, north of where the water turns cold (somewhere north of Santa Barbara. Almost all the air comes off the ocean, largest in the world. Just from a logical perspective this is what I would have suppossed. There’s such an enormous distance from the last conceivable polluting source. The last time this air was breathed it probably was in Japan or Kamchetka. Ketchikan, Sitka, Homer, they’re all good. ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/25 "2012-02-03T14:01:07Z")
Traverse City, MI ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/26 "2012-02-05T04:46:29Z")
Wisconsin Dells? ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/27 "2012-02-05T05:36:51Z")
Portland, OR ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/28 "2012-02-05T13:28:41Z")
My brother told me the air in the forests of Northern California and Oregon was the best he has ever experienced. And he has traveled a lot within the US. So whatever large city that is near the forests in those areas. You can also try an ionic air purifier. Those make the air feel fresher and less stuffy when I use them. ---
**Author:** ![highrollinwooded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/71c47a/32.png) [@highrollinwooded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/highrollinwooded)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/29 "2012-02-05T14:39:51Z")
Right here in God’s Country…the U.P. of Michigan!!! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/30 "2012-02-05T16:54:00Z")
Third vote for Portland, OR. ---
**Author:** ![mjssoulfan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mjssoulfan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjssoulfan1)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/31 "2012-02-05T18:27:33Z")
Fort Collins, Colorado ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/32 "2012-02-05T19:13:01Z")
Bout 50 miles west of here. (Denver…so past the foothills a bit) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/33 "2012-02-05T19:44:49Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > Bout 50 miles west of here. (Denver…so past the foothills a bit) Make that a hundred miles for me. The air may be thin up here, but it sure tastes good. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/34 "2012-02-06T01:52:25Z")
Finding air that meets my qualifications of really fresh would be difficult near a large city, but I am about 150 miles from Boise up in the mountains and my air is _wonderful_. I’m at about 5800 feet so it does take a day or so to adjust to, but oh, it is soooooo nice. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/35 "2012-02-06T03:31:42Z")
Mendocino, California. Great air, close enough to the Bay Area that you aren’t cut off from civilization. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/36 "2012-02-06T03:35:35Z")
Second vote for Mendocino or somewhere in Humboldt, like Eureka, Arcata or oh I know, Ferndale. After that on the west side of Mt Tam in Marin. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/37 "2012-02-06T14:31:51Z")
Hawaiian islands. Middle of the Pacific ocean with no sources of air pollution upwind. Otherwise northern CA coast, OR coast, WA coast - all close enuf to large towns and civilization. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/38 "2012-02-06T17:52:21Z")
Away from the city. How about the Columbia River Gorge? ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/39 "2012-02-06T18:07:06Z")
Right here in Wyoming. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596/40 "2012-02-06T19:46:32Z")
> [@florez](#): > > Eureka, California > [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > Mendocino, California. Great air, close enough to the Bay Area that you aren’t cut off from civilization. > [@Hedda\_Rosa](#): > > Second vote for Mendocino or somewhere in Humboldt, like Eureka, Arcata or oh I know, Ferndale. After that on the west side of Mt Tam in Marin. The air there can be very smoky in parts. Oh, it’s a special kind of smoke, not air pollution, but still, it can cause your head to get foggy… Places to absolutely STAY AWAY FROM: any of the California farming towns in Central Valley and outside, e.g. Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto. Some of the worst pollution in the US. LA of course, too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-in-the-usa-would-you-move-if-you-wanted-fresh-air/611596.md?page=1)