Durham Air Quality in March
Across 2019–2025, Durham's March air quality had a median AQI of 46 (Good) over 217 monitored days in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC area. 0.0% of March days (0 of 217) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, and ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 57.6% of days. The cleanest March on record here was 2020 (median AQI 41, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 53, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 77).
- Good: 63.1%
- Moderate: 36.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Durham in March?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 46 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of March days above AQI 100. Ground-level ozone is the main driver.
- ✓63.1% of March days were Good (AQI 0–50), 36.9% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 217 reached AQI 101+; the March peak was 89.
- ✓Best March: 2020; worst March: 2019.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Durham in March?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Durham in March was 46 (Good). 63.1% of days were Good, 36.9% Moderate, and 0.0% reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, based on 217 monitored days in EPA's Air Quality System.
Is March a good time for outdoor exercise in Durham?▾
A typical March day in Durham sits in the Good range (median AQI 46), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of March days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
Which pollutant causes Durham's March air quality problems?▾
Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 57.6% of March days in Durham. The highest March AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 89 (Moderate), in 2019.
Durham March air quality, year by year
Durham March air quality by year (Durham-Chapel Hill, NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 31 | 53 | 0 | 77 | PM2.5 |
| 2020cleanest | 31 | 41 | 0 | 79 | O3 |
| 2021 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 84 | O3 |
| 2022 | 31 | 44 | 0 | 67 | O3 |
| 2023 | 31 | 46 | 0 | 62 | O3 |
| 2024 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 89 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 31 | 47 | 0 | 74 | O3 |
What March air means in Durham
A typical March day in Durham sits in the Good range (median AQI 46), so running, cycling and children's outdoor play are fine for everyone on most days; fewer than 1% of March days reached AQI 101+ in 2019–2025.
March's median AQI of 46 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 March AQI across every EPA metro area (102,455 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 42, so Durham runs above the national March norm; 0.0% of its March days topped AQI 100 versus 0.4% nationally (about the same).
March is part of Durham's spring season (March, April, May); the spring 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.