Baltimore Air Quality in Summer
Across 2019–2025, Baltimore's summer (June–August) air quality had a median AQI of 55 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD area. 8.7% of summer days (56 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 68.9% of days. The cleanest summer on record here was 2022 (median AQI 54, 2 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 60, 14 days above 100, peak AQI 205).
- Good: 37.0%
- Moderate: 54.3%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 7.9%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.8%
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How is the air in Baltimore in summer?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 55 across 2019–2025, with 8.7% of summer days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓37.0% of summer days were Good (AQI 0–50), 54.3% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓56 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the summer peak was 205.
- ✓Cleanest month: August; worst month: June.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Baltimore in summer?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Baltimore in summer was 55 (Moderate). 37.0% of days were Good, 54.3% Moderate, and 8.7% 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 Baltimore?▾
A typical summer day in Baltimore is Moderate (median AQI 55): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 11 of summer days (8.7%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Which pollutant causes Baltimore's summer air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 68.9% of summer days in Baltimore. The highest summer AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 205 (Very Unhealthy), in 2023.
Baltimore summer air quality, year by year
Baltimore summer 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 | 92 | 63 | 11 | 150 | O3 |
| 2020 | 92 | 54 | 3 | 119 | O3 |
| 2021 | 92 | 55 | 12 | 140 | O3 |
| 2022cleanest | 92 | 54 | 2 | 122 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 92 | 60 | 14 | 205 | O3 |
| 2024 | 92 | 61 | 9 | 154 | O3 |
| 2025 | 92 | 51 | 5 | 143 | O3 |
What summer air means in Baltimore
A typical summer day in Baltimore is Moderate (median AQI 55): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 11 of summer days (8.7%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.
Summer's median AQI of 55 is above Baltimore's whole-year median of 49, 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 Baltimore runs above the national Summer norm; 8.7% of its Summer days topped AQI 100 versus 3.6% nationally (above average).
Within the season, August is the cleanest month (median AQI 51, 4.2% of days above 100) and June the worst (median 54, 11.9% above 100).
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 season 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.