Tucson Air Quality in 2024

In 2024, Tucson's air quality (Tucson, AZ area) had a median daily AQI of 56 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 12 days (3.3%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 113 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 171 (Unhealthy). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 217 of those days. The cleanest month of 2024 was February (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 66, 5 days above 100, peak 171).

56
Median AQI
Moderate
12
Days above AQI 100
3.3% of 366 days
87
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
171
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
217 of 366 days
113
Good days
30.9% of days
  • Good: 30.9%
  • Moderate: 65.8%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 2.7%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Tucson

Today's main pollutant in Tucson is ground-level ozone (AQI 35). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.

Recommended: Levoit Core 300True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Tucson's air quality in 2024?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 56, with 12 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 4th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2024: 171 (Unhealthy).
  • Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 217 days.
  • Cleanest month: February; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Tucson in 2024?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Tucson's (Tucson, AZ) median daily AQI for 2024 at 56, which is Moderate. 12 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 171.

Which month had the worst air quality in Tucson in 2024?

The cleanest month of 2024 was February (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 66, 5 days above 100, peak 171).

Was 2024 a good or bad year for Tucson's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2024's median of 56 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 54.

Tucson month by month in 2024

Tucson air quality month by month, 2024 (Tucson, AZ, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3146083PM2.5
Februarycleanest2944056O3
March3145065O3
April30631122O3
May31771105O3
Juneworst30665171O3
July31714119O3
August31610100O3
September3065091O3
October31581103O3
November3053057PM2.5
December3158084PM2.5

How 2024 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2024's median of 56 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 54.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Tucson

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Tucson's AQI at 35 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Tucson air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Tucson, AZ), 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.