Los Angeles Air Quality in August
Across 2019–2025, Los Angeles's August air quality had a median AQI of 126 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) over 217 monitored days in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area. 71.9% of August days (156 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 93.1% of days. The cleanest August on record here was 2022 (median AQI 112, 19 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 140, 26 days above 100, peak AQI 202).
- Good: 0.0%
- Moderate: 28.1%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 42.4%
- Unhealthy or worse: 29.5%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Los Angeles
Today's main pollutant in Los Angeles is ground-level ozone (AQI 38). 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 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
How is the air in Los Angeles in August?
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups on a typical day: median AQI 126 across 2019–2025, with 71.9% of August days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓0.0% of August days were Good (AQI 0–50), 28.1% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓156 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the August peak was 222.
- ✓Best August: 2022; worst August: 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Los Angeles in August?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Los Angeles in August was 126 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). 0.0% of days were Good, 28.1% Moderate, and 71.9% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is August a good time for outdoor exercise in Los Angeles?▾
A typical August day in Los Angeles is already Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (median AQI 126): people with asthma or heart disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged outdoor exertion on most days, and about 72% of August days (71.9%) were at that level or worse.
Which pollutant causes Los Angeles's August air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 93.1% of August days in Los Angeles. The highest August AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 222 (Very Unhealthy), in 2024.
Los Angeles August air quality, year by year
Los Angeles August air quality by year (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 126 | 24 | 197 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 122 | 23 | 222 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 129 | 21 | 179 | O3 |
| 2022cleanest | 31 | 112 | 19 | 174 | O3 |
| 2023 | 31 | 112 | 19 | 208 | O3 |
| 2024worst | 31 | 140 | 26 | 202 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 129 | 24 | 185 | O3 |
What August air means in Los Angeles
A typical August day in Los Angeles is already Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (median AQI 126): people with asthma or heart disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged outdoor exertion on most days, and about 72% of August days (71.9%) were at that level or worse.
August's median AQI of 126 is above Los Angeles's whole-year median of 74, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median August AQI across every EPA metro area (104,152 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 45, so Los Angeles runs above the national August norm; 71.9% of its August days topped AQI 100 versus 3.5% nationally (above average).
August is part of Los Angeles's summer season (June, July, August); the summer page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Los Angeles
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Los Angeles's AQI at 38 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Los Angeles air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA), 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.