Charlotte Best & Worst AQI Days: Air Quality Guide
The worst air quality day on record for Charlotte (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area) was August 27, 2024, when the daily AQI reached 156 (Unhealthy), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season. Across 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025, 1 of the 10 worst days was Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; 8 of the 10 were driven by ground-level ozone and 2 by fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and 4 of them fell in 2019. The cleanest day was January 14, 2020 at AQI 19 (Good); the 10 best days span 7 different years.
Extra Protection for Charlotte Homes
Air quality in Charlotte is moderate (AQI 73), 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 Charlotte's worst and best air quality days?
Worst: August 27, 2024, AQI 156 (Unhealthy, O3). Best: January 14, 2020, AQI 19 (Good). Based on 2,557 EPA-monitored days in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area, 2019–2025.
- ✓1 of the 10 worst days were Unhealthy (AQI 151+) or worse; the 10th-worst was AQI 122 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Ground-level ozone drove 8 of the 10 worst days.
- ✓2019 accounts for 4 of the 10 worst days.
Frequently asked questions
What was the worst air quality day in Charlotte?▾
August 27, 2024: the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area's daily AQI hit 156 (Unhealthy), driven by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season. That is the highest of 2,557 monitored days in 2019–2025.
What was the best air quality day in Charlotte?▾
January 14, 2020, with a daily AQI of 19 (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 Charlotte's worst air quality day in 2025?▾
July 8, 2025, AQI 97 (Moderate), set by ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season.
Which pollutant causes Charlotte's worst air days?▾
Ground-level ozone set the AQI on 8 of the 10 worst days; fine particulate matter (PM2.5) on 2. The tables above list the defining pollutant for every day.
Charlotte's 10 worst air quality days, 2019–2025
Highest daily AQI recorded for the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area (EPA AQS). The daily AQI is the highest reading from any monitor in the area that day.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2024 page) | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 2 | (2023 page) | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 3 | (2019 page) | 136 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2019 page) | 133 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 5 | (2023 page) | 129 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 6 | (2019 page) | 129 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 7 | (2021 page) | 128 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 8 | (2022 page) | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
| 9 | (2023 page) | 122 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season |
| 10 | (2019 page) | 122 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Worst day of each year in Charlotte
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 | 136 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone | |
| 2020 | 112 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2021 | 128 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5), in wildfire smoke season | |
| 2022 | 126 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2023 | 150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2024 | 156 | Unhealthy | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season | |
| 2025 | 97 | Moderate | O3 — ground-level ozone, in peak ozone season |
Charlotte's 10 best air quality days, 2019–2025
Lowest daily AQI recorded for the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area. Ties are listed most recent first.
| # | Date | AQI | Category | Defining pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (2020 page) | 19 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 2 | (2022 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 3 | (2019 page) | 20 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 4 | (2024 page) | 21 | Good | NO2 — nitrogen dioxide |
| 5 | (2021 page) | 21 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 6 | (2024 page) | 22 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 7 | (2023 page) | 22 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
| 8 | (2020 page) | 22 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 9 | (2025 page) | 23 | Good | PM2.5 — fine particulate matter (PM2.5) |
| 10 | (2021 page) | 23 | Good | O3 — ground-level ozone |
Right now in Charlotte
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Charlotte's AQI at 73 (PM2.5). The days above are historical records, not today's reading.
View current Charlotte air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC), 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.