Lexington Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Lexington's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 49 (Good) over 644 monitored days in the Lexington-Fayette, KY area. 0.7% of summer days (4 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 59.2% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2020 (median AQI 45, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 54, 3 days above 100, peak AQI 167).
- Good: 56.4%
- Moderate: 43.0%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.2%
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 summer?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 49 across 2019–2025, with 0.7% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓56.4% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 43.0% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓4 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 167.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Lexington in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Lexington in summer was 49 (Good). 56.4% of days were Good, 43.0% Moderate, and 0.7% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is summer a good time for outdoor exercise in Lexington?▾
A typical summer day in Lexington sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of summer days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Lexington's summer air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 59.2% of summer days in Lexington. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 167 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Lexington summer air quality, year by year
Lexington summer air quality by year (Lexington-Fayette, KY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 92 | 48 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| 2020cleanest | 92 | 45 | 0 | 86 | O3 |
| 2021 | 92 | 52 | 1 | 101 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 92 | 49 | 0 | 93 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 54 | 3 | 167 | O3 |
| 2024 | 92 | 49 | 0 | 93 | O3 |
| 2025 | 92 | 45 | 0 | 76 | O3 |
What summer air means in Lexington
A typical summer day in Lexington sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of summer days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Summer's median AQI of 49 is above Lexington's whole-year median of 44, making it one of the area's dirtier periods. Nationally, the median Summer AQI across every EPA metro area (308,645 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 46, so Lexington runs in line with the national Summer norm; 0.7% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (below average).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 46, 0.0% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 49, 1.5% 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.