Baltimore Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Baltimore's January air quality had a median AQI of 43 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area. 0.0% of January days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 74.7% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2020 (median AQI 37, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2022 (median 53, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 68).
- Good: 61.8%
- Moderate: 38.2%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Baltimore in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 43 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓61.8% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 38.2% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 84.
- ✓Best January: 2020; worst January: 2022.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Baltimore in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Baltimore in January was 43 (Good). 61.8% of days were Good, 38.2% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is January a good time for outdoor exercise in Baltimore?▾
A typical January day in Baltimore sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Baltimore's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 74.7% of January days in Baltimore. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 84 (Moderate), in 2022.
Baltimore January air quality, year by year
Baltimore January air quality by year (Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 31 | 41 | 0 | 73 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 31 | 37 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 42 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2022worst | 31 | 53 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 41 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 31 | 40 | 0 | 81 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 51 | 0 | 75 | PM2.5 |
What January air means in Baltimore
A typical January day in Baltimore sits in the Good range (median AQI 43), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
January's median AQI of 43 is below Baltimore's whole-year median of 49, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Baltimore runs above the national January norm; 0.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Baltimore's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Baltimore
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Baltimore's AQI at 43 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Baltimore air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD), 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.