The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere , mainly between about 15 and 35 km (roughly 9–22 miles) above Earth’s surface.

Quick Scoop: Where is the ozone layer located?

  • The ozone layer lies in the stratosphere, the second layer of Earth’s atmosphere above the troposphere.
  • It is concentrated roughly from 15 to 35 km above the surface, though definitions often extend its main region from about 15 to 40 km.
  • About 90% of all atmospheric ozone is found in this stratospheric band, which is why it is commonly called the ozone layer.
  • Peak ozone concentrations typically occur between about 20 and 30 km altitude, varying with latitude and season.

A simple way to picture it

Imagine Earth wrapped in several invisible “shells” of air. The shell just above where planes usually fly is the stratosphere , and within its lower to middle part sits a thinner, ozone‑rich band: that’s the ozone layer, shielding life from much of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

The ozone layer is not a separate blanket you could see with your eyes, but a region in the stratosphere where ozone gas is more concentrated than in other parts of the atmosphere.

TL;DR: The ozone layer is mainly in the stratosphere, about 15–35 km above Earth, where most of the atmosphere’s ozone is concentrated and where it absorbs much of the Sun’s UV radiation.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.