Minneapolis Air Quality in May
Across 2019–2025, Minneapolis's May air quality had a median AQI of 49 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI area. 4.1% of May days (9 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 63.6% of days. The cleanest May on record here was 2019 (median AQI 42, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 61, 7 days above 100, peak AQI 154).
- Good: 53.9%
- Moderate: 41.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3.2%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.9%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Minneapolis
Today's main pollutant in Minneapolis is ground-level ozone (AQI 25). 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 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How is the air in Minneapolis in May?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 49 across 2019–2025, with 4.1% of May days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓53.9% of May days were Good (AQI 0–50), 41.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓9 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the May peak was 154.
- ✓Best May: 2019; worst May: 2023.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Minneapolis in May?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Minneapolis in May was 49 (Good). 53.9% of days were Good, 41.9% Moderate, and 4.1% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is May a good time for outdoor exercise in Minneapolis?▾
A typical May day in Minneapolis sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 24 of May days (4.1%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Minneapolis's May air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 63.6% of May days in Minneapolis. The highest May AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 154 (Unhealthy), in 2023.
Minneapolis May air quality, year by year
Minneapolis May air quality by year (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019cleanest | 31 | 42 | 0 | 77 | O3 |
| 2020 | 31 | 48 | 0 | 60 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 80 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 48 | 0 | 77 | O3 |
| 2023worst | 31 | 61 | 7 | 154 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 50 | 2 | 152 | O3 |
| 2025 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 97 | O3 |
What May air means in Minneapolis
A typical May day in Minneapolis sits in the Good range (median AQI 49), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; about 1 day in 24 of May days (4.1%) reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
May's median AQI of 49 is in line with Minneapolis's whole-year median of 50, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median May AQI across every EPA metro area (104,064 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 44, so Minneapolis runs above the national May norm; 4.1% of its May days topped AQI 100 versus 1.3% nationally (above average).
May is part of Minneapolis's spring season (March, April, May); the spring page pools all three months.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Minneapolis
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Minneapolis's AQI at 25 (O3). The figures above are multi-year month statistics, not today's reading.
View current Minneapolis air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI), 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.