Los Angeles Air Quality in July
Across 2019–2025, Los Angeles's July air quality had a median AQI of 129 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) over 217 monitored days in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA area. 76.1% of July days (165 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 91.7% of days. The cleanest July on record here was 2025 (median AQI 105, 17 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 156, 31 days above 100, peak AQI 230).
- Good: 0.5%
- Moderate: 23.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 43.8%
- Unhealthy or worse: 32.3%
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 July?
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups on a typical day: median AQI 129 across 2019–2025, with 76.1% of July days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓0.5% of July days were Good (AQI 0–50), 23.5% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓165 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the July peak was 250.
- ✓Best July: 2025; worst July: 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Los Angeles in July?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Los Angeles in July was 129 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). 0.5% of days were Good, 23.5% Moderate, and 76.1% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is July a good time for outdoor exercise in Los Angeles?▾
A typical July day in Los Angeles is already Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (median AQI 129): people with asthma or heart disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged outdoor exertion on most days, and about 76% of July days (76.1%) were at that level or worse.
Which pollutant causes Los Angeles's July air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 91.7% of July days in Los Angeles. The highest July AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 250 (Very Unhealthy), in 2024.
Los Angeles July air quality, year by year
Los Angeles July 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 | 129 | 24 | 201 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 129 | 24 | 250 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 112 | 17 | 187 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 115 | 22 | 169 | O3 |
| 2023 | 31 | 161 | 30 | 210 | O3 |
| 2024worst | 31 | 156 | 31 | 230 | O3 |
| 2025cleanest | 31 | 105 | 17 | 177 | O3 |
What July air means in Los Angeles
A typical July day in Los Angeles is already Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (median AQI 129): people with asthma or heart disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged outdoor exertion on most days, and about 76% of July days (76.1%) were at that level or worse.
July's median AQI of 129 is above Los Angeles's whole-year median of 74, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median July AQI across every EPA metro area (103,858 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 47, so Los Angeles runs above the national July norm; 76.1% of its July days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (above average).
July 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.