Lexington Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, Lexington's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 42 (Good) over 610 monitored days in the Lexington-Fayette, KY area. 0.3% of fall days (2 of 610) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 57.7% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2025 (median AQI 39, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2021 (median 45, 1 day above 100, peak AQI 108).
- Good: 72.1%
- Moderate: 27.5%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.3%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Extra Protection for Lexington Homes
Air quality in Lexington is moderate (AQI 53), 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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How is the air in Lexington in fall?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 42 across 2019–2025, with 0.3% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓72.1% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 27.5% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓2 days of 610 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 108.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst month: November.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Lexington in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Lexington in fall was 42 (Good). 72.1% of days were Good, 27.5% Moderate, and 0.3% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 610 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Lexington?▾
A typical fall day in Lexington sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Lexington's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 57.7% of fall days in Lexington. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), in 2021.
Lexington fall air quality, year by year
Lexington fall air quality by year (Lexington-Fayette, KY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 44 | 0 | 75 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 40 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2021worst | 90 | 45 | 1 | 108 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 91 | 44 | 1 | 106 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 91 | 42 | 0 | 64 | O3 |
| 2024 | 65 | 41 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
| 2025cleanest | 91 | 39 | 0 | 100 | O3 |
What fall air means in Lexington
A typical fall day in Lexington sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Fall's median AQI of 42 is in line with Lexington's whole-year median of 44, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Lexington runs in line with the national Fall norm; 0.3% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (below average).
Within the season, October is the cleanest month (median AQI 39, 0.0% of days above 100) and November the worst (median 43, 1.1% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Lexington
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Lexington's AQI at 53 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Lexington air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Lexington-Fayette, KY), 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.