Portland, ME Air Quality in 2024

In 2024, Portland's air quality (Portland-South Portland, ME area) had a median daily AQI of 39 (Good) across 366 monitored days. 1 day (0.3%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 289 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 129 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 243 of those days. The cleanest month of 2024 was October (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 43, 1 day above 100, peak 129).

39
Median AQI
Good
1
Days above AQI 100
0.3% of 366 days
58
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
129
Peak AQI
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
O3
Main pollutant
243 of 366 days
289
Good days
79.0% of days
  • Good: 79.0%
  • Moderate: 20.8%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.3%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Portland

Today's main pollutant in Portland is ground-level ozone (AQI 29). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.

Recommended: Levoit Core 300True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Portland's air quality in 2024?

Good on a typical day: median AQI 39, with 1 day above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 2nd cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2024: 129 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
  • Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 243 days.
  • Cleanest month: October; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Portland in 2024?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Portland's (Portland-South Portland, ME) median daily AQI for 2024 at 39, which is Good. 1 day were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 129.

Which month had the worst air quality in Portland in 2024?

The cleanest month of 2024 was October (median AQI 31, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 43, 1 day above 100, peak 129).

Was 2024 a good or bad year for Portland's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 2nd cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2024's median of 39 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 40.

Portland month by month in 2024

Portland air quality month by month, 2024 (Portland-South Portland, ME, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3138079O3
February2941066O3
March3140045O3
April3042058O3
May3137074O3
Juneworst30431129O3
July3153097PM2.5
August3150074PM2.5
September3034052O3
Octobercleanest3131060O3
November3032044O3
December3135073O3

How 2024 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 2nd cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2024's median of 39 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 40.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Portland

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Portland's AQI at 29 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Portland air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Portland-South Portland, ME), 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.