Sacramento Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Sacramento's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 74 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA area. 20.8% of summer days (134 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 82.5% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2025 (median AQI 61, 4 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 99, 42 days above 100, peak AQI 692).
- Good: 16.5%
- Moderate: 62.7%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 16.1%
- Unhealthy or worse: 4.7%
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How is the air in Sacramento in summer?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 74 across 2019–2025, with 20.8% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓16.5% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 62.7% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓134 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 692.
- ✓Cleanest month: June; worst month: August.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Sacramento in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Sacramento in summer was 74 (Moderate). 16.5% of days were Good, 62.7% Moderate, and 20.8% 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 Sacramento?▾
A typical summer day in Sacramento is Moderate (median AQI 74): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 5 of summer days (20.8%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Sacramento's summer air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 82.5% of summer days in Sacramento. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 692 (Hazardous), in 2021.
Sacramento summer air quality, year by year
Sacramento summer air quality by year (Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92 | 71 | 12 | 140 | O3 |
| 2020 | 92 | 80 | 20 | 247 | O3 |
| 2021worst | 92 | 99 | 42 | 692 | O3 |
| 2022 | 92 | 71 | 16 | 143 | O3 |
| 2023 | 92 | 71 | 11 | 143 | O3 |
| 2024 | 92 | 82 | 29 | 140 | O3 |
| 2025cleanest | 92 | 61 | 4 | 143 | O3 |
What summer air means in Sacramento
A typical summer day in Sacramento is Moderate (median AQI 74): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 5 of summer days (20.8%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Summer's median AQI of 74 is above Sacramento's whole-year median of 58, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Sacramento runs above the national Summer norm; 20.8% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (above average).
Within the season, June is the cleanest month (median AQI 65, 9.5% of days above 100) and August the worst (median 80, 28.5% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Sacramento
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Sacramento's AQI at 43 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Sacramento air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, 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.