Macon Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Macon (Macon, GA area) was July 18, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 157 (Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,540 monitored days in 2019–2025, 1 of the 10 worst days was Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 6 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 4 by ground-level ozone, and 3 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was December 23, 2019 at AQI 7 (Good); the 10 best days span 5 different years.
Extra Protection for Macon Homes
Air quality in Macon is moderate (AQI 55), with fine particles (PM2.5) the main concern. A True-HEPA purifier gives sensitive groups — kids, seniors and anyone with asthma or allergies — cleaner air indoors on days like today.
Recommended: Coway AP-1512HH Mighty — True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
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When were Macon's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: July 18, 2023, AQI 157 (Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: December 23, 2019, AQI 7 (Good). Based on 2,540 EPA-monitored days in the Macon, GA area, 2019–2025.
- ✓1 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 105 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 6 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 3 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Macon?▾
July 18, 2023: the Macon, GA area's daily AQI hit 157 (Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,540 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Macon?▾
December 23, 2019, with a daily AQI of 7 (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 Macon's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
March 3, 2025, AQI 119 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
Which pollutant causes Macon's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 6 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 4. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Macon's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Macon, GA area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2019 page) | 137 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2021 page) | 131 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2024 page) | 123 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2025 page) | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2019 page) | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 7 | (2024 page) | 117 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 105 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 105 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Worst day of each year in Macon
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 | 137 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2020 | 97 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2021 | 131 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2022 | 91 | Moderate | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2023 | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 123 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2025 | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Macon's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Macon, GA area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2019 page) | 7 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 2 | (2021 page) | 8 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2021 page) | 11 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 12 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2021 page) | 12 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2021 page) | 13 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2020 page) | 13 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2024 page) | 14 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2020 page) | 14 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2020 page) | 14 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Macon
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Macon's AQI at 55 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Macon air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Macon, GA), 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.