Durham Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, Durham's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 41 (Good) over 637 monitored days in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area. 0.0% of fall days (0 of 637) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 61.2% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2020 (median AQI 37, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 43, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 60).
- Good: 73.6%
- Moderate: 26.4%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Durham in fall?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 41 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓73.6% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 26.4% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 77.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst month: November.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Durham in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Durham in fall was 41 (Good). 73.6% of days were Good, 26.4% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 637 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is fall a good time for outdoor exercise in Durham?▾
A typical fall day in Durham sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Durham's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 61.2% of fall days in Durham. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 77 (Moderate), in 2024.
Durham fall air quality, year by year
Durham fall air quality by year (Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 91 | 42 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 91 | 37 | 0 | 72 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 91 | 42 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 91 | 39 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 91 | 41 | 0 | 71 | PM2.5 |
| 2024worst | 91 | 43 | 0 | 60 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 91 | 40 | 0 | 77 | PM2.5 |
What fall air means in Durham
A typical fall day in Durham sits in the Good range (median AQI 41), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of fall days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Fall's median AQI of 41 is in line with Durham's whole-year median of 44, so this period is neither a clean nor a dirty stretch for the area. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Durham runs in line with the national Fall norm; 0.0% of its Fall days topped AQI 100 versus 1.5% nationally (below average).
Within the season, October is the cleanest month (median AQI 38, 0.0% of days above 100) and November the worst (median 43, 0.0% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Durham
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Durham's AQI at 41 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Durham air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Durham-Chapel Hill, NC), 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.