Air pollution is emerging as a significant chronic source of neuroinflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and neuropathology, contributing to central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have shown that air pollution components can reach the brain, and systemic effects known to impact lung and cardiovascular health also affect CNS health. The mechanisms driving air pollution-induced CNS pathology are not fully understood, but new evidence suggests that activation of microglia and changes in the blood-brain barrier may play key roles. This review summarizes recent findings on how air pollution reaches the brain, activates the innate immune response, and becomes a chronic source of pro-inflammatory factors and ROS, leading to CNS disease. Air pollution is a complex mixture of environmental toxicants that can assault the CNS through multiple pathways, causing neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, cerebral vascular damage, and neurodegenerative pathology. The chronic nature of human exposure to air pollution suggests that CNS effects may accumulate over a lifetime, including critical developmental periods. Further epidemiological and mechanistic studies are needed to fully understand the association between air pollution components and the development of CNS diseases.Air pollution is emerging as a significant chronic source of neuroinflammation, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and neuropathology, contributing to central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. Recent studies have shown that air pollution components can reach the brain, and systemic effects known to impact lung and cardiovascular health also affect CNS health. The mechanisms driving air pollution-induced CNS pathology are not fully understood, but new evidence suggests that activation of microglia and changes in the blood-brain barrier may play key roles. This review summarizes recent findings on how air pollution reaches the brain, activates the innate immune response, and becomes a chronic source of pro-inflammatory factors and ROS, leading to CNS disease. Air pollution is a complex mixture of environmental toxicants that can assault the CNS through multiple pathways, causing neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, cerebral vascular damage, and neurodegenerative pathology. The chronic nature of human exposure to air pollution suggests that CNS effects may accumulate over a lifetime, including critical developmental periods. Further epidemiological and mechanistic studies are needed to fully understand the association between air pollution components and the development of CNS diseases.