Raleigh Air Quality in Fall
Across 2019–2025, Raleigh's fall (September–November) air quality had a median AQI of 44 (Good) over 637 monitored days in the Raleigh, 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 69.2% of days. The cleanest fall on record here was 2022 (median AQI 40, 0 days above 100) and the worst was 2019 (median 48, 0 days above 100, peak AQI 87).
- Good: 64.4%
- Moderate: 35.6%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.0%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How is the air in Raleigh in fall?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 44 across 2019–2025, with 0.0% of fall days above AQI 100. Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is the main driver.
- ✓64.4% of fall days were Good (AQI 0–50), 35.6% Moderate (51–100).
- ✓0 days of 637 reached AQI 101+; the fall peak was 87.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst month: November.
Frequently asked questions
What is the air quality like in Raleigh in fall?▾
Across 2019–2025, the median daily AQI in Raleigh in fall was 44 (Good). 64.4% of days were Good, 35.6% 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 Raleigh?▾
A typical fall day in Raleigh sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), 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 Raleigh's fall air quality problems?▾
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 69.2% of fall days in Raleigh. The highest fall AQI recorded in 2019–2025 was 87 (Moderate), in 2019.
Raleigh fall air quality, year by year
Raleigh fall air quality by year (Raleigh, NC, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Year | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019worst | 91 | 48 | 0 | 87 | PM2.5 |
| 2020 | 91 | 44 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2021 | 91 | 45 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
| 2022cleanest | 91 | 40 | 0 | 74 | PM2.5 |
| 2023 | 91 | 43 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| 2024 | 91 | 44 | 0 | 67 | PM2.5 |
| 2025 | 91 | 41 | 0 | 76 | PM2.5 |
What fall air means in Raleigh
A typical fall day in Raleigh sits in the Good range (median AQI 44), 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 44 is below Raleigh's whole-year median of 48, making it one of the area's cleaner periods. Nationally, the median Fall AQI across every EPA metro area (296,275 metro-days, 2019–2025) is 40, so Raleigh runs above 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 42, 0.0% of days above 100) and November the worst (median 48, 0.0% above 100).
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Raleigh
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Raleigh's AQI at 47 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year season statistics, not today's reading.
View current Raleigh air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Raleigh, 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.