Fresno, California Air Quality
Fresno air quality today — the AQI, the main pollutant, and whether it’s safe to exercise outside right now
Fresno, CA · Air quality right now
The air quality index in Fresno, CA is 56 (Moderate) right now — acceptable for most people.
Is it safe to be outside in Fresno today?
AQI 56 Yes — air quality is Moderate
Fine for most; unusually sensitive people can take it easy.Main pollutant: PM2.5Observed 1:00 AM PST
Pollutants right now
- PM2.513 µg/m³Main pollutantfine particles — smoke, exhaust, soot
- PM1015 µg/m³coarse particles — dust, pollen, ash
- Ozone14 µg/m³smog — builds on hot, sunny days
- NO₂30 µg/m³nitrogen dioxide — traffic, combustion
ExerciseOK to run for most; sensitive athletes can ease the intensity.
How to read Fresno’s air quality
Guides: The AQI Scale, Explained · Air Quality Alerts, Decoded · How to Read a Wildfire Smoke Map · Why Wildfire Smoke Travels 1,000 Miles.
Air quality over time in Fresno
Across the EPA’s county records from 2020 to 2025, Fresno’s cleanest year was 2025 (median AQI 61) and its most polluted was 2020 (median AQI 76); the typical (median) day has trended cleaner since 2020.
| Year | Median AQI | Unhealthy+ | Main pollutant | USG | Moderate | Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 76 | 40 | PM2.5 | 59 | 192 | 75 |
| 2021 | 68 | 19 | PM2.5 | 63 | 221 | 62 |
| 2022 | 71 | 3 | Ozone | 67 | 217 | 78 |
| 2023 | 64 | 3 | Ozone | 55 | 210 | 97 |
| 2024 | 67 | 14 | Ozone | 65 | 216 | 71 |
| 2025 | 61 | 3 | Ozone | 31 | 226 | 105 |
“USG” is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI 101–150); “Unhealthy+” combines the Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous days. In 2024 the EPA tightened the annual fine-particle (PM2.5) standard to 9 µg/m³ from the previous 12 µg/m³, so counties near the old limit read worse against the new one. Source: EPA AQS annual summaries, 2020–2025.
Frequently asked
- What was the worst year for air quality in Fresno?
- In the EPA's 2020–2025 county records, 2020 had the most days above AQI 100: 99 days (59 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 40 Unhealthy or worse). It also had the highest median AQI, 76.
- How many unhealthy air days does Fresno have?
- Across 2020–2025, 19% of the days reported for Fresno's county had an AQI above 100 (422 of 2192), about 70 days a year. 2025 had 34 days.
- What's the main air pollutant in Fresno?
- Ozone drove Fresno's county AQI on the most days in 4 of 6 years (2020–2025); PM2.5 in 2020, 2021.