Wichita Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Wichita (Wichita, KS area) was March 14, 2025, when the daily AQI reached 370 (Hazardous), set by coarse dust (PM10). Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 3 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 6 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 2 by ground-level ozone, and 4 of them fell in 2021. The cleanest day was September 9, 2020 at AQI 13 (Good); the 10 best days span 4 different years.
Extra Protection for Wichita Homes
Air quality in Wichita is moderate (AQI 64), 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 Wichita's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: March 14, 2025, AQI 370 (Hazardous, PM10). Best: September 9, 2020, AQI 13 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Wichita, KS area, 2019–2025.
- ✓3 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 124 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 6 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2021 accounts for 4 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Wichita?▾
March 14, 2025: the Wichita, KS area's daily AQI hit 370 (Hazardous), driven by coarse dust (PM10). That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Wichita?▾
September 9, 2020, with a daily AQI of 13 (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 Wichita's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
March 14, 2025, AQI 370 (Hazardous), set by coarse dust (PM10).
Which pollutant causes Wichita's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 6 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 2. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Wichita's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Wichita, KS area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2025 page) | 370 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 2 | (2024 page) | 196 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 4 | (2021 page) | 147 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 5 | (2021 page) | 141 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2023 page) | 132 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 7 | (2021 page) | 130 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 124 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Worst day of each year in Wichita
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 | 97 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2020 | 117 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 147 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) | |
| 2022 | 119 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2024 | 196 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2025 | 370 | Hazardous | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
Wichita's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Wichita, KS area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2020 page) | 13 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2020 page) | 14 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2019 page) | 16 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2019 page) | 17 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 18 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 6 | (2019 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2019 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2019 page) | 20 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 9 | (2019 page) | 21 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 22 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
Right now in Wichita
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Wichita's AQI at 64 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Wichita air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Wichita, KS), 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.