Kansas City Air Quality in Spring

Across 2019–2025, Kansas City's spring (March–May) air quality had a median AQI of 53 (Moderate) over 644 monitored days in the Kansas City, MO-KS area. 1.8% of spring days (11 of 644) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 51.2% of days. The cleanest spring on record here was 2019 (median AQI 52, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2023 (median 55, 6 days above 100, peak AQI 129).

53
Median AQI
Moderate
1.8%
Days above AQI 100
11 of 644 days
76
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
293
Peak AQI
Very Unhealthy
PM2.5
Main pollutant
51.2% of days
42.4%
Good days
273 of 644
  • Good: 42.4%
  • Moderate: 55.9%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 1.6%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.2%

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QUICK ANSWER

How is the air in Kansas City in spring?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 53 across 2019–2025, with 1.8% of spring days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.

  • 42.4% of spring days were Good (AQI 0–50), 55.9% Moderate (51–100).
  • 11 days of 644 reached AQI 101+; the spring peak was 293.
  • Cleanest month: April; worst month: May.

Frequently asked questions

What is the air quality like in Kansas City in spring?

Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Kansas City in spring was 53 (Moderate). 42.4% of days were Good, 55.9% Moderate, and 1.8% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 644 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.

Is spring a good time for outdoor exercise in Kansas City?

A typical spring day in Kansas City is Moderate (median AQI 53): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 56 of spring days (1.8%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.

Which pollutant causes Kansas City's spring air quality problems?

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 51.2% of spring days in Kansas City. The highest spring AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 293 (Very Unhealthy), in 2023.

Kansas City spring air quality, year by year

Kansas City spring air quality by year (Kansas City, MO-KS, EPA AQS daily AQI)

YearDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
2019cleanest9252092PM2.5
202092521108PM2.5
202192512115PM2.5
20229254093PM2.5
2023worst92556129O3
202492541108O3
202592491293O3

What spring air means in Kansas City

A typical spring day in Kansas City is Moderate (median AQI 53): outdoor exercise is acceptable for most people, but unusually sensitive individuals should watch for symptoms, and about 1 day in 56 of spring days (1.8%) reached AQI 101+ — the level at which EPA advises people with asthma, children and older adults to shorten hard outdoor exertion.

Spring's median AQI of 53 is in line with Kansas City's whole-year median of 54, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Spring AQI across every EPA metro area (307,196 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 43, so Kansas City runs above the national Spring norm; 1.8% of its Spring days topped AQI 100 versus 0.8% nationally (about the same).

Within the season, April is the cleanest month (median AQI 54, 1.0% of days above 100) and May the worst (median 51, 2.8% above 100).

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

Right now in Kansas City

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Kansas City's AQI at 64 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, 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.