Fort Wayne Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, IN area) was June 27, 2023, when the daily AQI reached 223 (Very Unhealthy), set by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 3 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 7 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 3 by ground-level ozone, and 8 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was September 8, 2023 at AQI 18 (Good); the 10 best days span 4 different years.
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When were Fort Wayne's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: June 27, 2023, AQI 223 (Very Unhealthy, PM2.5). Best: September 8, 2023, AQI 18 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Fort Wayne, IN area, 2019–2025.
- ✓3 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 115 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 7 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 8 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Fort Wayne?▾
June 27, 2023: the Fort Wayne, IN area's daily AQI hit 223 (Very Unhealthy), driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season. That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Fort Wayne?▾
September 8, 2023, with a daily AQI of 18 (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 Fort Wayne's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
June 12, 2025, AQI 115 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season.
Which pollutant causes Fort Wayne's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 7 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 3. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Fort Wayne's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Fort Wayne, IN 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) | 223 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 198 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 159 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2023 page) | 149 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 133 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 129 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 122 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2020 page) | 120 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Worst day of each year in Fort Wayne
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 | 120 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 100 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2022 | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 223 | Very Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 100 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Fort Wayne's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Fort Wayne, IN area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 18 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2025 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2025 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2024 page) | 19 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 19 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2022 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2022 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2022 page) | 20 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Fort Wayne
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Fort Wayne's AQI at 27 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Fort Wayne air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Fort Wayne, IN), 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.