Kansas City Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Kansas City (Kansas City, MO-KS area) was March 14, 2025, when the daily AQI reached 293 (Very Unhealthy), set by coarse dust (PM10). Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 8 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 4 of the 10 were driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and 3 by ground-level ozone, and 5 of them fell in 2023. The cleanest day was October 14, 2023 at AQI 15 (Good); the 10 best days span 6 different years.
Extra Protection for Kansas City Homes
Air quality in Kansas City is moderate (AQI 64), 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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When were Kansas City's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: March 14, 2025, AQI 293 (Very Unhealthy, PM10). Best: October 14, 2023, AQI 15 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Kansas City, MO-KS area, 2019–2025.
- ✓8 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 147 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) drove 4 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2023 accounts for 5 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Kansas City?▾
March 14, 2025: the Kansas City, MO-KS area's daily AQI hit 293 (Very Unhealthy), driven by coarse dust (PM10). That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Kansas City?▾
October 14, 2023, with a daily AQI of 15 (Good). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area, so even the cleanest day reflects the area's worst monitor.
What was Kansas City's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
March 14, 2025, AQI 293 (Very Unhealthy), set by coarse dust (PM10).
Which pollutant causes Kansas City's worst air days?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the AQI on 4 of the 10 worst days; ground-level ozone on 3. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Kansas City's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Kansas City, MO-KS area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2025 page) | 293 | Very Unhealthy | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 166 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 3 | (2023 page) | 165 | Unhealthy | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 4 | (2020 page) | 159 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 5 | (2025 page) | 157 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 6 | (2025 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 155 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2023 page) | 151 | Unhealthy | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 147 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 147 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
Worst day of each year in Kansas City
The single highest-AQI day in each year on record. Click a year for its full month-by-month statistics.
| Year | Worst day | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 137 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) | |
| 2020 | 159 | Unhealthy | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 147 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2022 | 115 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 166 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2024 | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 293 | Very Unhealthy | PM10 — coarse dust (PM10) |
Kansas City's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Kansas City, MO-KS area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2023 page) | 15 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2020 page) | 16 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 3 | (2024 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2024 page) | 24 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 5 | (2022 page) | 24 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2020 page) | 24 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2019 page) | 24 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 8 | (2019 page) | 25 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 26 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2025 page) | 26 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Right now in Kansas City
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Kansas City's AQI at 64 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Kansas City air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Kansas City, MO-KS), 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.