Birmingham Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Birmingham (Birmingham-Hoover, AL area) was July 30, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 255 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 7 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 8 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 2 by ground-level ozone, and 6 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was January 20, 2025 at AQI 19 (Good); the 10 best days span 4 different years.
Extra Protection for Birmingham Homes
Air quality in Birmingham is moderate (AQI 53), with fine particles (PM2.5) the main concern. A True-HEPA purifier gives sensitive groups — kids, seniors and anyone with asthma or allergies — cleaner air indoors on days like today.
Recommended: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty — True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
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When were Birmingham's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: July 30, 2023, AQI 255 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: January 20, 2025, AQI 19 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Birmingham-Hoover, AL area, 2019–2025.
- ✓7 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 8 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 6 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Birmingham?▾
July 30, 2023: the Birmingham-Hoover, AL area's daily AQI hit 255 (Very Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Birmingham?▾
January 20, 2025, with a daily AQI of 19 (Good). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area, so even the cleanest day reflects the area's worst monitor.
What was Birmingham's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
December 17, 2025, AQI 117 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Which pollutant causes Birmingham's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 8 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 2. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Birmingham's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Birmingham-Hoover, AL area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 255 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 255 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2021 page) | 189 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 178 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2021 page) | 173 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 170 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 155 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2019 page) | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 142 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 10 | (2019 page) | 140 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Worst day of each year in Birmingham
The single highest-AQI day in each year on record. Click a year for its full month-by-month statistics.
| Year | Worst day | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 129 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2021 | 189 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2022 | 105 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 255 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 117 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Birmingham's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Birmingham-Hoover, AL area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2025 page) | 19 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2021 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2025 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2025 page) | 23 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 5 | (2025 page) | 23 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2024 page) | 24 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2022 page) | 24 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2025 page) | 25 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 25 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 25 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Right now in Birmingham
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Birmingham's AQI at 53 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Birmingham air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Birmingham-Hoover, AL), 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.