About Us

COG is the one place in metropolitan Washington that regularly brings leaders together to develop solutions to the region's major challenges. COG prepares plans enabling the region to receive federal funding, provides members with research and data to inform decision-making, and offers a wide range of programs, including commuter services, cooperative purchasing, technical assistance and grants, and public outreach campaigns.

Transportation

Through the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB), area officials, planners, and engineers ensure a well-managed and maintained transportation system. The TPB, which is staffed by COG, conducts the federally mandated transportation planning process for the region and ensures the uninterrupted flow of federal transportation funds that area jurisdictions receive.

Environment

COG's work engages leaders in various environmental fields from water quality experts to climate scientists. Together, they are advancing regional efforts to restore local waterways, improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change, promote recycling, and enhance and preserve green space and agriculture.

Community

Area officials and experts, including planning and housing directors and child welfare and health officials, work together with their counterparts at COG to help shape stronger communities throughout the region.

Homeland Security & Public Safety

COG brings police chiefs, fire chiefs, emergency managers, and other leaders together as part of its work to strengthen regional public safety coordination, homeland security planning, and emergency communication.

Environment

Air Quality Forecast

COG, in partnership with the District Department of Energy & Environment and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, provides daily air quality forecasts for the Northern Virginia/District of Columbia region. Daily air quality forecasts for the Suburban DC, Maryland Piedmont, and Southern MD regions are provided by Maryland Department of the Environment. Forecasts are available year-round and are based on the national Air Quality Index.

Since the 1970s, COG has provided air quality forecasts and issued health advisories to the media and public when the air is unhealthy. The following widget shows the current location across the entire metropolitan Washington region where air pollution levels are the highest. It also displays forecasts for the current, next day, and previous day’s Air Quality Indices for different subregions of the metropolitan Washington region, updated around 4 PM each day. Review the map to determine your subregion.

Additional air quality resources.

Air Quality Index

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a national index for reporting forecasted and daily air quality. It explains how clean or polluted the air is, and highlights associated health concerns. The AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. It is divided into several color-coded categories (Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, Purple, and Maroon), which correspond to different levels of health concerns.

Air Quality Guide for Fine Particle Pollution (from AirNow.gov)

Air Quality Guide for Particle Pollution

Learn more: AirNow.gov guides for Fine Particle Pollution, Ozone Pollution, and Schools.

Air Quality Monitoring Subregions - Map

Additional Air Quality Resources

Visit Clean Air Partners, created by COG and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council, for information on protecting your health and the environment.
Subscribe to EnviroFlash for up-to-date air quality information. COG approves air quality alerts sent through EPA’s EnviroFlash service.
For Air Quality Forecasts on your phone, dial (571) 888-3500, select Option 1 - then select Option 7. (Provided by National Weather Service)
Visit COG's Air Quality Planning Areas page for air quality news, documents, committees, and meeting information.

Air Quality Data

View historical air quality data.
View trends on the COG Air Quality Progress Dashboard.

News & Multimedia

News

Podcast: Improving community health through air quality initiatives

April 9, 2024

In this episode of Think Regionally, host Robert McCartney speaks with Kristen Willard of the Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform, DC Department of Energy...