Anchorage Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Anchorage's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 19 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Anchorage, AK area. 1.7% of summer days (11 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 69.6% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2020 (median AQI 16, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 47, 10 days above 100, peak AQI 163).
- Good: 89.8%
- Moderate: 8.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.1%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.6%
Improve Indoor Air Quality
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How is the air in Anchorage in summer?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 19 across 2019–2025, with 1.7% of summer days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓89.8% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 8.5% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓11 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 163.
- ✓Cleanest month: June; worst month: August.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Anchorage in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Anchorage in summer was 19 (Good). 89.8% of days were Good, 8.5% Moderate, and 1.7% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Anchorage?▾
A typical summer day in Anchorage sits in the Good range (median AQI 19), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 59 of summer days (1.7%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Anchorage's summer air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 69.6% of summer days in Anchorage. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 163 (Unhealthy), in 2019.
Anchorage summer air quality, year by year
Anchorage summer air quality by year (Anchorage, AK, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 92 | 47 | 10 | 163 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 92 | 16 | 0 | 52 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 92 | 21 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 17 | 1 | 125 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 92 | 17 | 0 | 89 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 92 | 19 | 0 | 54 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 92 | 17 | 0 | 46 | PM10 |
What summer air means in Anchorage
A typical summer day in Anchorage sits in the Good range (median AQI 19), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 59 of summer days (1.7%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Summer's median AQI of 19 is below Anchorage's whole-year median of 27, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Anchorage runs below the national Summer norm; 1.7% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (below average).
Within the season, June is the cleanest month (median AQI 21, 1.0% of days above 100) and August the worst (median 18, 2.3% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Anchorage
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Anchorage's AQI at 18 (PM10). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Anchorage air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Anchorage, AK), 2019–2025. Daily AQI per CBSA is the highest AQI reported by any monitor in the area that day; the defining parameter is the pollutant that set it. Month and season statistics pool every such day in the period across all years listed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.