Durham Air Quality in January
Across 2019–2025, Durham's January air quality had a median AQI of 42 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area. 0.0% of January days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 99.1% of days. The cleanest January on record here was 2020 (median AQI 27, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2024 (median 54, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 75).
- Good: 66.4%
- Moderate: 33.6%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Durham in January?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 42 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of January days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓66.4% of January days were Good (AQI 0–50), 33.6% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the January peak was 75.
- ✓Best January: 2020; worst January: 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Durham in January?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Durham in January was 42 (Good). 66.4% of days were Good, 33.6% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is January a good time for outdoor exercise in Durham?▾
A typical January day in Durham sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Durham's January air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 99.1% of January days in Durham. The highest January AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 75 (Moderate), in 2024.
Durham January air quality, year by year
Durham January 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 | 31 | 52 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 31 | 27 | 0 | 50 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| 2022 | 31 | 37 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 31 | 33 | 0 | 54 | PM2.5 |
| 2024worst | 31 | 54 | 0 | 75 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 37 | 0 | 59 | PM2.5 |
What January air means in Durham
A typical January day in Durham sits in the Good range (median AQI 42), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of January days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
January's median AQI of 42 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 January AQI across every EPA metro area (95,602 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 39, so Durham runs in line with the national January norm; 0.0% of its January days topped AQI 100 versus 0.7% nationally (about the same).
January is part of Durham's winter season (December, January, February); the winter page pools all three months.
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 month 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.