Augusta Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Augusta (Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area) was February 28, 2021, when the daily AQI reached 145 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Across 2,556 monitored days in 2019–2025, 0 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 10 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 7 of them fell in 2021. The cleanest day was February 13, 2019 at AQI 17 (Good); the 10 best days span 4 different years.
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When were Augusta's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: February 28, 2021, AQI 145 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, PM2.5). Best: February 13, 2019, AQI 17 (Good). Based on 2,556 EPA-monitored days in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area, 2019–2025.
- ✓0 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 10 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2021 accounts for 7 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Augusta?▾
February 28, 2021: the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area's daily AQI hit 145 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5). That is the highest of 2,556 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Augusta?▾
February 13, 2019, with a daily AQI of 17 (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 Augusta's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
February 25, 2025, AQI 130 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Which pollutant causes Augusta's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 10 of the 10 worst days. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Augusta's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2021 page) | 145 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2025 page) | 130 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2025 page) | 123 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2021 page) | 121 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2021 page) | 121 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2021 page) | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2020 page) | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2021 page) | 113 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 9 | (2021 page) | 112 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 108 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Worst day of each year in Augusta
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 | 101 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2020 | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 145 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2022 | 99 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2023 | 96 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2024 | 105 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2025 | 130 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Augusta's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2019 page) | 17 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2019 page) | 17 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2019 page) | 17 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2019 page) | 17 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2024 page) | 18 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 6 | (2022 page) | 18 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2021 page) | 18 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2019 page) | 18 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2021 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2019 page) | 19 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Augusta
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Augusta's AQI at 49 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Augusta air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC), 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.