Washington, District of Columbia Air Quality
Washington air quality today — the AQI, the main pollutant, and whether it’s safe to exercise outside right now
Washington, DC · Air quality right now
The air quality index in Washington, DC is 51 (Moderate) right now — acceptable for most people.
Is it safe to be outside in Washington today?
AQI 51 Yes — air quality is Moderate
Fine for most; unusually sensitive people can take it easy.Main pollutant: PM2.5Observed 10:00 AM EDT
Pollutants right now
- PM2.55.4 µg/m³Main pollutantfine particles — smoke, exhaust, soot
- PM105.5 µg/m³coarse particles — dust, pollen, ash
- Ozone59 µg/m³smog — builds on hot, sunny days
- NO₂6.8 µg/m³nitrogen dioxide — traffic, combustion
ExerciseOK to run for most; sensitive athletes can ease the intensity.
How to read Washington’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 Washington
Across the EPA’s county records from 2020 to 2025, Washington’s cleanest year was 2020 (median AQI 44) and its most polluted was 2021 (median AQI 51); the typical (median) day has held roughly steady since 2020.
| Year | Median AQI | Unhealthy+ | Main pollutant | USG | Moderate | Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 44 | 1 | PM2.5 | 0 | 117 | 248 |
| 2021 | 51 | 1 | PM2.5 | 7 | 185 | 172 |
| 2022 | 49 | 0 | PM2.5 | 4 | 163 | 198 |
| 2023 | 50 | 3 | PM2.5 | 9 | 164 | 189 |
| 2024 | 45 | 0 | Ozone | 4 | 129 | 233 |
| 2025 | 45 | 2 | Ozone | 2 | 120 | 241 |
“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 Washington?
- In the EPA's 2020–2025 county records, 2023 had the most days above AQI 100: 12 days (9 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 3 Unhealthy or worse). The highest median AQI came in 2021 (51; 2023's was 50).
- How many unhealthy air days does Washington have?
- Across 2020–2025, 2% of the days reported for Washington's county had an AQI above 100 (33 of 2192), about 6 days a year. 2025 had 4 days.
- What's the main air pollutant in Washington?
- PM2.5 drove Washington's county AQI on the most days in 4 of 6 years (2020–2025); Ozone in 2024, 2025.